THE  OREGON  FARMER 

WHAT  HE  HAS  ACCOMPLISHED  IN  EVERY 
PART  OF  THE  STATE 


A  Preliminary  Agricultural  Survey  Under  the 

Direction  of  an  Advisory  Committee 

From  the  Faculty  of 

Oregon  Agricultural  College 

CORVALLIS 


Conducted  by 

Oregon  Statistical  Bureau 

J.  A.  BEXELL.  Director 
E.  B.  Lemon,  Assistant  Statistician 


1913 


Published  by 

Oregon  State  Immigration  Commission 

C.  C.  CHAPMAN 

State  Immigration  Agent 

PORTLAND,  OREGON 


WILLIS  S.  DUNIWAY,  State  Printer 


List  of  publications  of  Oregon  Immigration  Commission : 

THE  OREGON  FARMER:  136  pages  telling  what  the 
average  farmer  has  accomplished  in  every  County  of  the 
State. 

OREGON  ALMANAC:  144  pages  giving  statistics  of 
area,  agricultural  industry,  opportunity  and  detailed  de- 
scription with  maps  of  every  County  and  district  in  Oregon. 

OREGON  ALBUM:  144  pages.  Nearly  200  views  of 
farms  in  every  County  of  Oregon. 

IMMIGRANTS'  GUIDE:  96  pages.  Hand-book  pub- 
lished in  German. 

ANNUAL  REPORT:  16  pages  indicating  purposes  and 
methods  of  Immigration  Commission. 

Address : 

Oregon  State  Immigration  Office 

Commercial  Club  Building 

Portland,  Oregon 


The  climate  of  the  State  of  Oregon  is  widely  varied  as  between  the  six 
geographical  subdivisions,  governed  by  the  physical  conditions  as  shown  in 
the  accompanying  topographic  map,  and  embraces  all  of  the  desirable  ele- 
ments necessary  for  successful  agricultural  development,  from  the  humid 
region  along  the  Pacific  Coast  to  the  high  and  semi-arid  plateau  region  of 
Central  Oregon.  The  mountainous  regions  are  covered  with  a  dense  growth 
of  merchantable  timber  and  perform  the  highly  important  double  function 
of  serving  as  immense  water  sheds  and  Nature's  storehouse  for  millions  of 
tons  of  Winter  snows  to  supply  the  needed  moisture  for  the  broad  and  fertile 
valleys  during  the  Summer  months. 


THE   OREGON  FARMER 


WHAT   HE  HAS   ACCOMPLISHED  IN  EVERY 
PART  OF  THE  STATE 


A  Preliminary  Agricultural  Survey  Under  the 

Direction  of  an  Advisory  Committee 

From  the  Faculty  of 

Oregon  Agricultural  College 

CORVALLIS 


Conducted  by 

Oregon  Statistical  Bureau 

J.  A.  BEXELL,  Director 
E.  B.  Lemon,  Assistant  Statistician 


Published  by 

Oregon  State  Immigration  Commission 

C.  C  CHAPMAN 

State  Immigration  Agent 

PORTLAND,  OREGON 


WILLIS  S.  DUNIWAY,  State  Printer 


AGPIC. 
CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Study  this  Book C.  C.  Chapman 3 

Introduction A.  B.  Cordley 5 

Agricultural  Opportunities  James  Withycombe 13 

The  Live  Stock  Industry E.  L.  Potter 16 

The  Dairy  Industry F.  L.  Kent 25 

Soils  and  Farm  Crops H.  D.  Scuddor 33 

The  Climate  of  Oregon W.  L.  Powers 65 

Fruits  and  Vegetables C.I.  Lewis 71 

The  Poultry  Industry James  Dryden 85 

Bee  Culture H.F.Wilson 95 

Farm  Finance J.  A.  Bexell 99 

Country  Life  in  Oregon Hector  Macpherson 109 

The  Oregon  Rural  Home ...  Henrietta  Calvin 121 

Typical  Successful  Farms . .  .E.  B.  Lemon 125 


MAPS,  CHARTS  AND  DIAGRAMS. 

MAPS. 

Page. 

Sectional  of  the  State 7 

Topographic  of  the  State Insert  Front  Cover 

Precipitation  Map 64 

Distribution  of  Beef  Cattle 16 

Distribution  of  Swine 17 

Distribution  of  Horses 19 

Distribution  of  Sheep 22 

Value  of  Poultry  Products . , .._... 84 

Distribution  of  Bees ' . '. 96 

Distribution  of  Rural  Population .....   114 

Railroads  of  the  StdtG 108 

Educational  Institutions . .                                      118 


DIAGRAMS. 

Temperature  and  Precipitation 69 

Showing  Percentages  of  Investment  —  -. 98 

Financing  the  Farm 100-106 

Land  Area  of  State  (a  comparison) 114 


OREGON' 

STUDY  THIS  BOOK  AJLITTLE  AT  A  TIME. 

( LOWING  reports  telling  of  the  wondrous  success 
achieved  by  some  one  specialist  in  a  new  country, 
are  of  little  value  to  the  homeseeker  of  modest  means. 

What  you  and  I  and  nearly  all  of  us  want  to  know— 
the  questions  we  want  answered — are: 

What  has  the  average,  serious,  earnest,  hard-working 
man  accomplished?  What  kind  of  a  home  has  he  built 
for  his  family?  How  much  money  has  he  saved?  What 
are  his  living  conditions?  What  is  his  average  income, 
year  in  and  year  out?  What  his  expenses? 

These  are  the  common  sense  inquiries  all  of  us  make 
about  the  farmer  in  a  new  country.  The  traveler  or 
tourist  who  is  visiting  Oregon,  can  get  these  answers 
for  himself  by  stopping  at  each  farm  house  and  asking 
the  questions.  The  homeseeker,  however,  often  cannot 
afford  to  spend  a  lot  of  time  and  money  making  a  per- 
sonal investigation.  The  State  of  Oregon  feels  a  respon- 
sibility to  the  bona-fide  homeseeker.  The  responsibility 
of  placing  the  facts  before  him  just  as  clearly  and  plainly 
as  they  can  be  presented  on  paper  in  an  official  report. 

This  book  has  the  facts  in  it, — the  averages  as  to  what 
the  average  industrious  man  has  accomplished  here  in 
the  State  of  Oregon. 

A  corps  of  trained  workers,  investigators,  was  sent  out 
by  the  State,  into  every  County  to  interview  farmers 
in  every  district.  A  list  of  questions  was  asked;  these 
questions  including  nearly  everything  that  a  homeseeker 
would  ask  or  would  like  to  know  as  to  what  the  average 
farmer  had  actually  done  since  establishing  himself  in 
the  State  of  Oregon.  These  answers  were  all  tabulated 
and  classified  by  expert  statisticians,  and  have  been 
analyzed  by  the  practical  men  at  the  heads  of  the  differ- 
ent bureaus  or  departments  of  our  State  Agricultural 
College.  Every  investigator  and  every  department  chief 

337323 


4  OREGON  FARMER 

who  had  any  part  in  the  production  of  this  book  felt  a 
deep  sense  of  responsibility.  Many  of  these  men  have 
devoted  the  better  part  of  their  lives  to  the  service  of 
the  State  of  Oregon  in  its  Agricultural  College.  Pains- 
taking attention  to  detail  and  high  devotion  to  the  pur- 
pose to  be  served  by  this  report,  have  characterized  their 
work. 

The  facts  are  here  and  speak  for  themselves.  While 
they  indicate  an  amazing  record  of  success  and  wide- 
spread prosperity  on  the  part  of  the  farmer — while  they 
show  that  the  Oregon  farmer  on  an  average  is  about  as 
independent  and  well-fixed  as  the  average  of  any  class 
of  people  anywhere  in  the  world — it  is  not  the  purpose 
of  this  book  to  invite  anyone  to  come  to  Oregon  or  to 
argue  as  to  the  comparative  merits  of  this  and  any  other 
State.  We  simply  feel  that  the  homeseeker  is  entitled 
to  the  facts,  and  here  they  are. 

Do  not  try  to  read  this  book  continuously  from  begin- 
ning to  end.  Consult  the  sections  in  which  you  are  most 
interested  and  analyze  the  statistics  for  yourself,  a  little 
at  a  time.  Study  the  tables  and  read  the  explanations. 
It  is  hard  to  assimilate  a  vast  accumulation  of  facts  at 
a  glance,  or  at  one  reading.  This  book  will  richly  repay 
the  most  careful  attention  and  study  from  the  home- 
seeker  who  looks  towards  Oregon  as  a  possible  land  of 
opportunity. 


r 


Oregon  State  Immigration  Agent. 


OREGON  FARMER 

INTRODUCTION 


OBJECT  AND  SCOPE  OP  THE  SURVEY 

BY  A.  B.  CORDLEY 
Dean  of  School  of  Agriculture 

agricultural  survey,  of  which  this  bulletin  is  a  summary, 
was  undertaken  primarily  for  the  purpose,  not  of  adding  to  a 
knowledge  of  rural  economics  or  sociology,  but  to  obtain  defi- 
nite information  of  agricultural  conditions  in  Oregon  for  the  benefit 
of  prospective  settlers. 

Oregon,  with  an  area  greater  than  that  of  Illinois  and  Indiana 
or  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  and  with  a  population  scarcely 
equal  to  that  of  Boston  or  St.  Louis,  has  less  than  one-fifth  of  its 
tillable  land  under  cultivation.  Development  of  the  latent  wealth 
of  the  remainder,  with  its  resultant  effect  upon  the  entire  State, 
thus  waits  on  immigration.  Knowledge  of  the  opportunities  thus 
afforded,  together  with  definite  and  accurate  information  of 
what  Oregon  farmers  are  now  doing  on  these  lands,  should  serve 
to  attract  the  attention  both  of  investors  and  settlers.  The  object 
of  the  survey  was  to  obtain  such  information;  the  purpose  of  this 
bulletin  is  to  present  the  information  thus  obtained  in  a  plain  state- 
ment of  facts  without  the  glittering  generalities  of  the  average 
advertising  pamphlet. 

Provision  for  this  work  was  made  by  the  Twenty-Sixth  Legislative 
Assembly  by  an  appropriation  of  $5,000  for  statistical  research  by 
the  Bureau  of  Statistics  in  connection  with  the  publicity  work  of 
the  State  Immigration  Commission. 

The  Bureau  of  Statistics  was  organized  by  the  appointment  of 
Dean  Bexell  of  the  School  of  Commerce  as  Director,  E.  B.  Lemon 
as  Assistant  Statistician,  Neil  B.  Baldwin  as  Office  Assistant,  and 
the  following  advisory  committee: 

J.  A.  Bexell,  Dean  School  of  Commerce  (Ex-Officio). 

James  Withy  combe,  Director  of  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station. 

A.  B.  Cordley,  Dean  of  Agriculture. 

G.  A.  Covell,  Dean  of  Engineering. 

Henrietta  W.  Calvin,  Dean  of  Domestic  Science  and  Art. 

C.  I.  Lewis,  Professor  of  Horticulture. 

H.  D.  Scudder,  Professor  of  Agronomy. 

F.  L.  Kent,  Professor  of  Dairy  Husbandry. 
E.  L.  Potter,  Professor  of  Animal  Husbandry. 
James  Dryden,  Professor  of  Poultry  Husbandry. 
H.  M.  Parks,  Professor  of  Mining  Engineering. 

G.  W.  Peavy,  Professor  of  Forestry. 

Hector  Macpherson,  Assistant  Professor  of  Political  Economy. 

This  committee  met  with  the  State  Immigration  Agent,  C.  C- 
Chapman,  May  18,  1912,  and  perfected  tentative  plans  for  the  work' 
and  again  on  October  28,  1912,  when  it  was  decided  to  co-operate 


6  OREGON  FARMER 

with  the  State  Immigration  Commission  and  the  State  Immigration 
Agent  in  publishing  this  digest  of  the  survey  in  an  edition  of  25,000 
copies.  Professors  Cordley,  Lewis  and  Bexell  were  appointed  as 
an  editing  committee.  The  total  cost  of  the  survey,  including  the 
tabulation  of  the  report  and  the  preparation  of  the  copy  for  this 
bulletin,  but  not  including  the  cost  of  publication,  was  $3,900.11. 
(See  Annual  Report  of  Oregon  State  Immigration  Commission, 
1912.)  That  so  much  has  been  accomplished  at  such  slight  expense 
is  due  in  no  little  degree  to  the  various  railroad  companies  of  the 
State  who  generously  furnished  transportation  over  their  respective 
lines  for  all  men  engaged  in  this  work. 

The  scope  of  the  work  is  well  indicated  by  the  following  letter 
which  was  sent  out  to  a  large  number  of  citizens  in  various  parts 
of  the  State: 
''Dear  Sir: 

"The  Oregon  Statistical  Bureau,  in  co-operation  with  the  Agricultural 
College,  is  making  a  preliminary  agricultural  survey  of  a  number  of  leading 
farms  in  every  county  in  the  State.  The  object  of  this  survey  is  primarily 
to  determine  the  opportunities  in  each  locality  for  new  settlers  and,  if  possible, 
to  find  some  of  the  difficulties  in  agricultural  development. 

"A  number  of  farms  in  your  locality  will  be  visited  during  the  summer 

by  Mr. .    Such  questions  as  the  following  will  be  asked:    The  value 

of  land,  machinery,  stock  on  hand  June  1;  the  acreage  and  yield  of  each  crop 
in  1911;  the  amount  of  these  crops  sold  and  the  receipts;  the  amount  of  other 
farm  products,  such  as  milk,  butter,  eggs,  fruit,  etc.,  sold  during  the  year, 
and  the  receipts;  the  expenses  for  labor,  seed,  feed,  fertilizer,  machinery, 
threshing,  etc.;  the  methods  of  cultivation  used  and  your  observation  of  the 
results. 

"As  your  answer  will  be  used  for  the  benefit  of  your  community  and  of 
the  entire  State,  accuracy  of  statement  is  of  the  utmost  importance.  All  of 
the  informatiou  received  from  you  and  your  neighbors  will  be  compiled  in 
making  up  a  final  report  on  the  general  conditions  in  your  community.  Your 
statement  will  be  considered  strictly  confidential.  The  reports  of  individuals 
will  not  be  published  without  their  consent. 

"We  hope  that  the  farmers  will  assist  our  representatives  in  securing  the 
information  desired  and  that  in  turn  the  College  and  the  Immigration  Com- 
mission may  aid  the  farmers  by  giving  advice  to  all  those  who  wish  it." 

During  the  preliminary  discussions  regarding  the  scope  of  the 
survey  it  soon  became  evident  that  a  number  of  separate  question- 
naires would  be  necessary  in  order  to  accumulate  the  desired  infor- 
mation relative  to  the  various  types  of  farming.  The  preparation 
of  these  was  assigned  to  the  various  members  of  the  advisory  com- 
mittee, under  the  general  supervision  of  the  Director,  who  edited 
and  published  them  in  pamphlet  form  for  the  use  of  the  field  agents. 
The  field  work  began  June  17,  1912,  and  was  prosecuted  vigorously 
until  October.  Upon  receipt  of  the  earlier  reports,  the  work  of 
tabulation  was  begun  in  order  to  detect  and  correct  any  possible 
errors  that  might  be  made  by  any  of  the  agents  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment.  All  data  as  it  came  in  was  tabulated  first  by  counties 
and  then  by  districts.  When  all  the  reports  had  been  received  and 
tabulated  the  information  thus  accumulated  was  referred  to  the 


OREGON  FARMER 


Geographically  the  state  is  divided  into  two  sections,  commonly  known  as  Eastern 
and  Western  Oregon.  Clhnatologically  it  is  sub -divided  into  five  sections  (indicated 
by  the  heavy  boundary  lines  on  the  map,  outlining  each  sub-division)  in  which  a  wide 
variety  of  climatic  conditions  prevail  to  meet  the  requirements  of  every  branch  of  agri- 
cultural pursuit  and  the  demands  of  the  individual  resident  from  the  standpoint  of 
healths'  and  comfort. 


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8  OREGON  FARMER 

various  members  of  the  advisory  committee  to  be  used  in  the  prepara- 
tion of  their  respective  reports.  Thus  all  data  relative  to  the  live 
stock  industry  was  referred  to  Professor  Potter;  that  which  related 
to  horticulture,  to  Professor  Lewis,  etc.,  and  upon  this  data  their 
respective  papers  were  based.  They  are  as  follows: 

Agricultural  Opportunities James  Withy  combe 

The  Live  Stock  Industry E.  L.  Potter 

The  Dairy  Industry F.  L.  Kent 

Soils  and  Farm  Crops H.  D.  Scudder 

The  Climate  of  Oregon W.  L.  Powers 

Fruits  and  Vegetables C.  I.  Lewis 

The  Poultry  Industry James  Dryden 

Bee  Culture H.  F.  Wilson 

Farm  Finance J.  A.  Bexell 

Country  Life  in  Oregon Hector  Macpherson 

The  Oregon  Rural  Home Henrietta  Calvin 

Typical  Successful  Farms E.  B.  Lemon 

For  comparative  purposes  and  for  convenience  in  tabulating  the 
data  relative  to  the  various  types  of  farming,  the  information  was 
grouped  first  by  counties  and  then  by  districts.  The  State  divides 
itself  naturally  into  two  great  divisions  as  regards  topography, 
soil,  climate  and  state  of  development,  namely:  Western  Oregon 
and  Eastern  Oregon. 

WESTERN  OREGON. 

Coast  Division — Clatsop,  Tillamook,  Lincoln,  Coos,  Curry,  part 
of  Lane,  and  part  of  of  Douglas  counties. 

Southern  Oregon  Division  (Rogue  and  Umpqua  Valleys) — Douglas, 
Jackson  and  Josephine  counties. 

Willamette  Valley  Division — Linn,  Lane,  Benton,  Polk,  Marion, 
Clackamas,  Yamhill,  Washington,  Multnomah  and  Columbia 
counties. 


EASTERN  OREGON. 

Columbia  Basin  Division — Hood  River,  Wasco,  Sherman,  Gilliam, 
Morrow  and  Umatilla  counties. 

Blue  Mountain  Division — Wheeler,  Grant,  Baker,  Union,  and 
Wallowa  counties. 

Central  Oregon  Division — That  vast  empire  embraced  in  Crook, 
Klamath,  Lake,  Harney,  and  Malheur  counties. 

For  purposes  of  more  just  and  accurate  comparisons  the  reports 
from  the  various  districts  were  grouped  according  to  size  of  farms 
as  indicated  in  the  following  table.  This  is  evidently  necessary  as 
the  results  obtained  by  extensive  methods  on  the  larger  farms  are 
not  justly  comparable  with  those  obtained  by  the  more  intensive 
methods  which  are  usually  practiced  on  the  smaller  ones. 


OREGON  FARMER 
CLASSIFICATION  OF  REPORTS. 


Division 

5-20 
acres  — 
reports. 

21-80 
acres  — 
reports. 

81-160 
acres- 
reports. 

161-320 
acres  — 
reports. 

321-over 
acres  — 
reports. 

Total 
reports. 

Coast  

6 

24 

56 

55 

35 

175 

Southern  Oregon 

38 

59 

45 

46 

43 

231 

Willamette  Valley  

36 

152 

137 

129 

102 

556 

Columbia  Rwrin  .  .  . 

25 

40 

28 

22 

147 

262 

Blue  Mountain  

13 

12 

16 

35 

125 

201 

Central  Oregon  

3 

19 

42 

49 

98 

211 

State  

121 

306 

324 

336 

550 

1,637 

TABLE  SHOWING  PERCENTAGE  OF  DIFFERENT  TYPES  OF  FARMS 
EXAMINED  IN  THE  AGRICULTURAL  SURVEY. 


Division 

General 
per  cent. 

Hay 

per  cent. 

Grain 
per  cent. 

Stock 
per  cent. 

Dairy 
per  cent. 

Fruit 
per  cent. 

Truck 
per  cent. 

Coast  

12.0 

1.2 

20.2 

66.0 

0.6 

Willamette  Valley  
Southern  Oregon  

46.0 
29.0 

2.0 
9.0 

3.7 
6.0 

5.3 
9.3 

19.0 
11.0 

16.0 
25.0 

8.0 
10.7 

Columbia  Basin 

17  0 

8.0 

27.0 

17.0 

3.8 

24  6* 

2  6 

Blue  Mt.  Region  

18.0 

8.6 

6.5 

50.3 

3.3 

13.3 

Central  Oregon    . 

46.0 

3.8 

14.0 

28.0 

4.4 

1  9 

1  9 

State  averages  

25.3 

8.3 

9.4 

20.1 

17.5 

13.7 

5.8 

"On  account  of  the  large  number  of  fruit  farms  reported  from  Hood  River  County  and  Umatilla 
County. 

Throughout  the  survey  every  effort  was  made  to  insure  accuracy 
— the  desire  was  to  obtain  facts  and  facts  only.  Every  field  agent 
was  provided  with  the  following  letter  of  instruction  and  later  as 
the  work  progressed  each  was  repeatedly  urged  to  exercise  the 
greatest  care  to  insure  that  each  interview  was  as  complete  and 
accurate  as  it  was  possible  to  make  it. 
«Mr. 

"The  industrial  survey  which  you  are  to  assist  in  carrying  out  this  summer 
is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  Oregon  and  her  citizens.  The  statistics  which 
you  are  to  obtain,  if  they  are  painstakingly  and  honestly  gathered,  will  aid 
materially  in  solving  many  of  the  agricultural  problems  of  the  State  and  to 
locate  to  the  best  advantage  prospective  settlers. 

"Every  one  engaged  in  this  work  should  aim  to  make  every  interview  as 
complete  and  thorough  as  possible  so  that  when  the  final  results  are  published 
they  will  make  the  best  showing  for  Oregon  that  the  facts  will  justify.  The 
facts,  no  more,  no  less,  are  wanted. 

"Do  not  slight  any  feature  of  the  questionnaire,  but  endeavor  to  secure 
each  item.  Negligence  will  materially  lessen  the  value  of  the  final  results. 
Make  it  clear  to  every  individual  called  upon  that  giving  information  you  ask 
for  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  assessment  or  taxation. 

"It  is  impossible  to  lay  down  fixed  rules  for  each  solicitor  since  conditions 
differ  materially  in  every  locality.  The  following  suggestions,  however,  will 
probably  prove  helpful: 

"1.  Interview  the  officers  of  the  commercial  club  (or  other  organization — 
in  places  having  no  commercial  club  secure  the  co-operation  of  the  banker,  post- 
master or  other  leading  citizens)  in  the  locality  you  are  about  to  solicit  and 
secure  a  list  of  representative  and  successful  farmers  to  be  interviewed.  Bear 
in  mind  that  what  is  wanted  is  data  from  successful  farmers,  under  average 
conditions. 


10  OREGON  FARMER 

"The  principal  questions  are:  On  what  have  they  succeeded,  and  why? 
From  ten  to  twenty  farmers  will  generally  be  sufficient  in  each  locality.  The 
minimum  number  to  be  interviewed  in  a  county  is  fifty,  and  those  should  be 
scattered  throughout  the  county.  Do  not  make  mistake  of  confining  your 
attention  to  a  popular  and  easily  accessible  locality,  to  the  exclusion  of  localities 
less  known,  since  the  primary  object  of  the  survey  is  to  find  the  opportunities 
open  to  settlers  in  every  part  of  the  county,  and  especially  in  those  parts  that 
are  least  developed. 

"2.  Send  a  form  letter  to  each  of  the  farmers  selected.  Be  sure  to  fill  in 
your  name  and  date. 

"3.  Arrange  your  route  so  as  to  secure  the  greatest  economy  of  time.  The 
best  results  will  be  obtained  by  arranging  to  stop  at  farm  houses  over  night, 
whenever  practicable,  since  in  this  way  you  will  save  time  and  obtain  consider- 
able valuable  information. 

"4.  Call  on  the  newspapers  of  the  town  and  introduce  yourself  by  pre- 
senting a  form  letter  and  a  questionnaire.  Explain  your  mission  and  suggest 
that  a  mention  will  be  appreciated. 

"5.  All  interviews  should  be  made  on  the  farm,  and  your  own  impression 
as  well  as  the  specific  information  should  be  carefully  noted.  Whenever 
possible,  secure  the  information  from  records  and  do  not  accept  statements 
intended  purely  for  local  advertising.  The  object  of  this  survey  is  to  secure 
facts. 

"6.  It  will  often  be  found  impracticable  to  fill  out  the  entire  list  of  ques- 
tions in  the  presence  of  the  farmer  interviewed.  All  omissions,  however, 
should  be  filled  in  completely  before  the  interview  is  mailed. 

"7.  Until  further  notice,  mail  interviews  every  day  if  you  are  within  mail 
connections.  Remember  that  this  requires  first  class  postage.  Keep  this 
office  informed  of  your  plans  and  movements  at  all  times. 

"8.  Expense  vouchers  must  be  fully  itemized  and  a  receipt  taken  for  every 
item  of  one  dollar  and  above.  Forward  expense  bills  to  this  office  not  later 
than  the  last  day  of  each  month. 

"9.  After  completing  the  agricultural  survey  of  a  given  locality,  fill  out 
and  send  in  your  private  locality  report.  Whenever  practicable  it  would  be 
instructive  to  attend  Sunday  services  in  the  country  churches,  and  thus  learn 
by  your  own  observation  something  of  their  influence  in  the  country. 

"10.  Farmers  will  frequently  ask  for  professional  information  of  great 
importance  to  themselves  and  their  community.  In  most  cases  it  is  advisable 
that  you  refer  such  matters  to  the  proper  department  of  the  College,  and  that 
you  represent  yourself  only  as  a  solicitor. 

"11.  Bear  in  mind  particularly  that  while  each  field  agent  is  sent  into 
localities  devoted  principally  to  his  own  specialty,  he  is  to  complete  the  survey 
in  each  county  before  leaving  it.  That  is,  while  interviews  on  the  Hood  River 
district,  for  instance,  will  be  devoted  very  largely  to  fruit,  yet  there  will  be 
found  very  successful  general  farms,  and  these  should  be  properly  represented 
in  the  total  number  of  interviews  of  the  county,  otherwise  the  survey  will  not 
show  properly  the  range  of  opportunities  in  each  county. 

"12.  For  comparative  purposes  it  is  important  that  both  the  large  and  the 
small  farms  be  about  equally  represented  in  the  survey.  Kindly  bear  this  in 
mind  in  selecting  the  farms  to  be  interviewed." 

The  active  field  work  was  done  by  thirteen  agents,  all  of  whom 
were  senior  or  graduate  students  or  members  of  the  faculty  of  the 
Oregon  Agricultural  College;  and  each  of  whom  was  assigned  to 
one  or  more  counties,  depending  upon  area  and  density  of  population. 


OREGON  FARMER  11 

FIELD  AGENTS 

Mr.  R.  B.  Thompson — Parts  of  Polk,  Yamhill  and  Washington. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Stanley — Wheeler,  Grant,  Waliowa,  and  part  of  Umatilla. 

Mr.  E.  R.  Stockwell— Columbia,  Clatsop,  and  Tillamook. 

Dr.  B.  W.  Hollis— Lincoln. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Powers— Part  of  Crook. 

Mr.  Walter  E.  Morris — Coos  and  Curry. 

Mr.  H.  A.  Morgenstern — Lake. 

Mr.  Morris  Koon — Lane,  Marion,  and  part  of  Linn. 

Mr.  Harry  Hetzel — Union,  Hood  River,  Multnomah,  and  parts  of  Wasco, 
Washington  and  Yamhill. 

Mr.  M.  O.  Evans,  Jr. — Jackson,  Josephine,  Douglas,  Clackamas,  and 
parts  of  Polk,  Linn  and  Benton. 

Mr.  E.  W.  Curtis — Harney,  Klamath,  and  part  of  Crook. 

Mr.  Orren  Beaty — Sherman,  Morrow,  and  Gilliam. 

Mr.  E.  B.  Lemon — Parts  ofv  Benton  and  Wasco. 

Acting  under  the  above  instructions  these  agents  held  the  inter- 
views for  and  filed  a  total  of  1637  approved  reports.  The  reports 
which  were  tabulated  were  distributed  among  the  various  counties 
as  follows: 

Baker  51,  Benton  52,  Clackamas  69,  Clatsop  37,  Columbia  45, 
Coos  33,  Crook  48,  Curry  19,  Douglas  82,  Gilliam  40,  Grant  31, 
Harney  19,  Hood  River  27,  Jackson  96,  Josephine  53,  Klamath  71, 
Lake  59,  Lane  91,  Lincoln  38,  Linn  48,  Marion  67,  Malheur  15, 
Morrow  39,  Multnomah  18,  Polk  47,  Sherman  41,  Tillamook  49, 
Umatilla  63,  Union  46,  Waliowa  31,  Wasco  52,  Washington  65, 
Wheeler  42,  Yamhill  54. 

It  will  be  seen  that  the  survey  is  an  honest  effort  to  represent 
the  actual  condition  of  country  life  in  Oregon.  Absolute  accuracy 
is  not  claimed  for  the  large  mass  of  figures  exhibited  in  the  various 
tables.  The  reader  is  left  largely  to  draw  his  own  conclusions  from 
the  material  at  hand.  In  most  cases,  the  number  of  reports  is 
stated  in  connection  with  the  averages,  which  indicates  what  confi- 
dence may  be  placed  on  the  figures.  That  the  averages  are  not  far 
from  the  truth  appears  from  a  comparison  with  certain  data  found 
in  the  last  census  reports.  For  instance,  Dean  Bexell  says  in  regard 
to  the  value -of  live  stock:  "The  State  averages  are  $341,  $878, 
$1887,  $2255,  and  $8030,  according  to  the  several  sizes  of  farms. 
These  amounts  are  3.6  per  cent,  4.7  per  cent,  8.2  per  cent,  8.1  per 
cent,  and  14.9  per  cent  of  the  respective  total  investments,  as  shown 
in  the  table  on  page  102.  When  it  is  remembered  that  the  large 
farms  greatly  predominate  in  the  survey  these  ratios  are  confirmed 
by  the  last  census,  which  places  the  value  of  live  stock  at  11.3  per 
cent  of  the  total  value  of  farm  property."  A  more  striking  confirm- 
ation is  found  in  the  value  of  implements  and  machinery.  The 
rates  found  in  the  survey  are  2.4  per  cent,  2.4  per  cent,  2.3  per  cent, 
2.4  per  cent,  and  2.1  per  cent,  according  to  the  different  sizes  of 
farms.  The  census  finds  the  State  average  to  be  2.5  per  cent.  In 
a  survey  of  Tompkins  County,  New  York,  it  was  found  that  45  per 
cent  of  the  ^farmers  based  their  reports  on  records,  while  in  this 
survey  48  per  cent  make  a  similar  claim. 


12  OREGON  FARMER 

While  the  primary  purpose  of  this  bulletin  is  to  furnish  to  prospec- 
tive settlers  information  of  what  is  actually  being  done  by  Oregon 
farmers,  doubtless  it  also  contains  much  that  is  of  interest  to  these 
farmers  themselves.  However,  it  should  undoubtedly  be  supple- 
mented by  further  studies  along  similar  lines.  We  now  realize  as 
never  before  that  the  rural  problem  is  a  problem  of  better  business 
and  better  living  as  well  as  of  better  farming;  but  before  much  of 
value  can  be  accomplished  in  solving  the  economic  and  social  prob- 
lems of  the  farm  we  shall  have  to  recognize  and  act  upon  the  idea 
that  such  problems  offer  as  important  a  field  for  investigation  as 
do  those  which  relate  merely  to  production.  Definite  information 
upon  which  to  base  improved  methods  of  production  became  available 
only  with  the  development  of  the  research  functions  of  the  various 
State  experiment  stations,  and  it  is  evident,  I  think,  that  careful 
field  studies  of  the  factors  involved  must  necessarily  form  the  basis 
for  any  satisfactory  solution  of  the  social  and  economic  problems 
of  the  open  country.  This  work  is  so  fundamental  that  I  consider 
it  most  unfortunate  that  no  provision  has  been  made  for  continuing 
a  line  of  investigation  in  which  this  bulletin  represents  the  first  step. 


Statistics  Based  on  Averages. 

The  tabulated  statistics  contained  in  this  booklet  are 
NOT  based  upon  the  average  conditions  prevailing  generally 
throughout  the  state,  but  represent  the  AVERAGES  based 
upon  the  number  of  reports  received  upon  the  different 
subjects,  and  the  reader  should  not  be  misguided  in  this 
respect.  It  is  not  the  purpose  or  intention  to  mislead  the 
prospective  homeseeker.  Instances  of  unusual  results  are 
not  cited  in  the  composition  of  this  booklet,  but  only 
the  AVERAGES  in  all  cases  are  taken  into  consideration 
so  as  to  avoid  all  possibility  of  misrepresentation.  Pains- 
taking care  has  been  exercised  to  present  the  conditions 
as  they  actually  exist,  in  so  far  as  the  results  of  this  survey 
are  concerned,  with  the  average  farmer  in  the  state.  STATE 
AVERAGES  represent  the  AVERAGE  results  taken  from 
farms  that  were  selected  as  representing  average  possibili- 
ties in  each  section. 


OREGON  FARMER 


13 


AGRICULTURAL  OPPORTUNITIES  IN  OREGON. 

By  JAMES  WITHYCOMBB 
Director  Experiment  Station. 


GENERAL  STATISTICS  (A) 


DIVISION 

Number 
of 
Reports 

Average 
Years  on 
this 
Farm 

Years  Ex- 
perience as 
Farmers. 

Average  Acreage  Operated. 

Total 
Own- 
ed. 

Min. 

Max. 

Rent. 

Cultivated. 

Min. 

Max. 

Coast                    

176 
231 
555 

252 
201 
212 

12 
12 
15 
13 
13 

vio 

42 
48 
57 
38 
34 
32 

250 
228 
178 
931 
1089 
548 

38 
3 
10 
35 
20 
33 

750 
2900 
866 
8220 
11280 
8350 

331 
156 
140 
1073 
1808 
396 

53 
70 
102 
414 
195 
165 

Southern  Oregon  
Willamette  Valley  

Blue  Mountain  

Central  Oregon  
STATE  

1637 

12 

1 

42 

475 

23 

5394 

651 

149 

GENERAL  STATISTICS  (B) 


DIVISION 

Required   to 
Operate    Farm. 

Number  Reporting  Good 
Opportunities  for  Work. 

Average 
Depth  of 
Wells, 
Feet. 

Number  of 
Rural 
Telephones. 

Men 

Horses. 

Carpen- 
try. 

Masonry. 

Black- 
smithing. 

Coast            

3 

2 
11 
3 
3 

2 

4 

4 

fr 

8 

29 
3 
142 
19 
37 
39 

20 

1 
38 
2 
13 

7 

41 
85 
190 
41 
32 
39 

22 
21 
36 
58 
23 
46 

137 
201 
500 
168 
153 
102 

Southern  Oregon 

Willamette  Valley  
Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountain  

Central  Oregon  
STATE 

4 

7 

269 

81 

428 

34 

1260 

jRJEGON  is  a  land  of  agricultural  opportunities.  The  state 
is  divided  by  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains  into  two  grand 
physical  divisions,  known  as  Western  and  Eastern  Oregon. 
The  western  division  is  a  humid  section  and  the  eastern  is  mainly 
arid  or  semi-arid.  These  two  sections  of  the  state  are  subdivided  by 
geographical,  soil  and  climatic  conditions  into  smaller  divisions. 
In  the  western  division,  crop  failure  is  unknown,  and  the  same 
condition  largely  exists  in  the  eastern  section,  where  agriculture  is 
not  so  well  developed. 

Much  of  Oregon  is  comparatively  new  in  agriculture,  nevertheless 
the  industry  is  established  upon  a  stable  basis.  Statistical  data 
secured  from  1637  farms  show  that  the  average  time  the  present 
occupants  have  been  in  possession  is  twelve  years.  The  range  of 
occupancy  of  these  1637  farmers  is  from  one  to  fifty-seven  years. 
This  average  includes  the  newer  settled  portions  of  the  state,  thus 
showing  there  is  no  general  unrest  or  pronounced  land  speculative 
tendencies  among  the  farmers  of  Oregon. 

Agricultural  opportunities  in  Oregon  are  abundant.  There  are 
approximately  45,000  farmers  in  Oregon  and  the  tillable  agricultural 
area  of  the  state  is  estimated  at  23,000,000  acres.  A  considerable 
portion  of  this;!however,  at  present  is  in  forest,  but  after  the  forest 


14  OREGON  FARMER 

will  come  the  farms.  The  average  size  of  an  Oregon  farm  is  514 
acres,  but  the  average  size  of  a  farm  in  Western  Oregon  is  only  112 
acres.  The  general  tendency  in  the  humid  and  irrigated  sections 
is  toward  smaller  farms.  In  a  number  of  sections,  under  intensive 
methods  of  crop  production,  farmers  are  making  a  good  living 
from  ten  acres  of  ground. 

Much  of  Oregon  is  a  timbered  country  and  a  considerable  area  is 
used  for  pasture,  thus  while  the  average  sized  farm  is  514  acres  the 
average  amount  of  cultivated  land  on  each  farm  is  149  acres. 

Another  attractive  feature  of  the  average  Oregon  farm  is  the 
great  abundance  of  good  water.  The  greater  portion  of  the  state 
is  well  supplied  with  water  from  running  streams.  In  addition  to 
this,  excellent  water  is  within  easy  reach  over  a  very  large  portion 
of  the  state.  From  the  data  secured  from  over  1600  farms,  rep- 
resenting all  sections  of  the  state,  the  average  depth  of  wells  is 
shown  to  be  34  feet. 

The  farmers  of  Oregon  are  progressive,  as  shown  by  investments 
in  farmstead  improvements  and  the  very  general  use  of  the  telephone. 
Out  of  1637  farmers  interviewed  1260  reported  having  'phones,  or 
77  per  cent. 

Farmers  of  Oregon  are  not  only  progressive  but  are  also  prosperous, 
judging  from  the  amount  of  capital  invested  in  farms,  ranging  from 
$7,150  to  $59,955.  The  farmers  also  reside  in  good  substantial 
homes,  as  indicated  by  the  reported  cost  of  dwellings,  which  range 
from  $533  to  $2,096. 

Oregon  is  famous  for  its  high  class  live  stock,  which  is  an  important 
factor  in  farm  revenues.  Statistics  show  that  the  value  of  live 
stock  upon  Oregon  farms  ranges  from  $271  to  $13,423. 

The  progressiyeness  of  the  Oregon  farmer  is  shown  in  his  farm 
equipment.  It  is  shown  by  data  of  the  agricultural  survey  that  the 
value  of  implements  and  machinery  maintained  upon  the  farms  of 
this  state  range  from  $100  to  $1,641.  Statistics  also  show  that  the 
annual  gross  receipts  of  individual  farms  are  good,  ranging  from 
$786  to  $7,800.  The  average  income  per  family  upon  the  farm  is 
a  good  index  as  to  the  general  prosperity  of  the  farmer.  This  income 
ranges  from  $358  to  $4,307.  While  the  average  income  is  good  the 
standard  of  living  is  also  good,  but  not  in  any  way  extravagant. 
The  tables  show  that  the  average  family  expenses  range  from  $267 
to  $841.  These  amounts  should  afford  good  wholesome  living  and 
at  the  same  time  it  does  not  indicate  that  it  is  unreasonably  expensive 
to  live  on  a  farm. 

Farming  is  not  a  get-rich-quick  occupation,  but  under  intelligent 
systems  of  husbandry  a  good  wholesome  prosperity  is  assured. 
Under  good  systems  of  farm  management  the  risk  from  loss  upon 
capital  invested  is  small,  thus  the  percentage  of  profit  on  invested 
capital  is  not  so  great  as  in  some  other  fields  of  industry.  However, 
the  data  collected  indicate  that  the  percentage  of  profit,  including 
the  family  labor,  upon  the  capital  invested  ranges  from  4.37  per  cent 
to  14.28  per  cent. 


OREGON  FARMER 


15 


THE  LIVE  STOCK  INDUSTRY  IN  OREGON. 

BY  E.  L.  POTTER 
Professor  of  Animal  Husbandry. 


STATISTICS  ON  CATTLE. 


DIVISION. 

Per  cent. 
Increase. 

Acres  per 

Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast  Division  

100.00 

$12  00 

Southern  Oregon 

78  33 

4  00 

41  25 

Willamette  Valley  

90.00 

5.00 

12.00 

Columbia  Basin       

58  92 

6  93 

10  96 

Blue  Mountain 

68  05 

8  47 

21  78 

Central  Oregon  

61.26 

5.50 

2  50 

STATE 

79  33 

4  33 

$25  30 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  BEEF  CATTLE 

BYTHEDEPARTMENTOFANIMAI  " 

i  AGRICULTURALCOLLEGE. 


PR  EPAREOBYTHEDEPARTMENTOF  ANIMAL  HUSBANDRY 


4-2  3.OOOHEAD  IN  ORESO* 

OICATES   IOOOHEAD 


•*;i  •••  .Hi] 


BEEF  CATTLE. 


CCORDING  to  the  1910  census  there  are  about  425  thousand 
beef  cattle  in  Oregon.  There  are  no  'exact  figures  available  for 
the  present  year  but  it  is  well  known!  by  all  stockmen  that  the 
number  is  much  less  than  two  years  ago.  It  is  very  probable  that  350 
thousand  would  be  about  the  correct  number  at  the  present  time. 
It  will  be  noted  from  the  map  that  the  cattle  are  scattered  throughout 
the  state,  but  are  particularly  numerous  through  the  Blue  Mountain 


16  OREGON  FARMER 

and  south  central  portions;  in  other  words,  they  are  most  abundant 
in  the  range  districts.  In  the  south  central  portion,  beef  cattle  is 
very  decidedly  the  dominant  industry.  Harney  county,  for  example, 
has  4000  people  and  100,000  cattle  or  25  cattle  per  capita.  Wisconsin 
claims  to  be  a  great  dairy  state  and  has  recently  been  featuring  the 
fact  that  she  has  one  cow  for  every  two  inhabitants. 

The  cattle  industry  in  Oregon  may  be  divided  into  four  divisions; 
the  range  cattle  industry;  the  raising  of  cattle  on  the  grain  and  hay 
farms;  the  fattening  of  beef  on  alfalfa;  and  the  raising  of  pure  bred 
cattle. 

Of  these  industries  the  range  industry  is  by  far  the  most  important. 
The  bulk  of  the  cattle  in  Oregon  are  run  on  the  Government  ranges 
in  much  the  same  manner  as  the  sheep.  In  the  winter  they  are 
brought  down  on  the  low  land  to  graze  the  grass  which  has  been 
left  from  summer  and  in  addition  are  given  some  hay.  The  range 
men  are  quite  uniform  in  stating  that  it  takes  just  about  one  ton 
of  hay  to  winter  a  beef  cow  or  steer.  In  summer  these  cattle  are 
allowed  to  run  out  on  the  open  ranges.  In  some  cases  they  run  on 
the  lower  and  dryer  hills  which  are  not  suitable  for  sheep  raising. 
Many,  however,  are  run  on  the  forest  reserves  in  the  Blue  Mountains. 
The  cattle  men  own  some  land  which  they  use  for  headquarters 
and  where  they  raise  hay  and  feed  for  winter.  Many  of  them  also 
own  considerable  areas  of  range  land,  especially  for  winter  use. 
Very  few  own  any  considerable  portion  of  the  land  which  they  use 
in  the  summer  time.  The  size  of  the  cattle  men's  holdings  varies 
from  thousands  of  acres  of  land  and  thousands  of  cattle  down  to 
the  little  ranch  and  a  few  cows.  The  great  majority,  however,  of 
the  smaller  class  own  perhaps  a  few  hundred  acres  of  land,  only  a 
small  portion  of  which  is  tillable  and  of  any  particular  value,  and 
from  100  to  400  head  of  cattle.  The  Blue  Mountain  district  is 
particularly  the  home  of  the  small  cattle  man.  As  with  sheep  it 
requires  rather  more  capital  to  start  up  in  the  cattle  business  than 
on  a  small  general  farm,  yet  $10,000  makes  a  good  start. 

The  grain  and  hay  farmers  in  the  irrigated  valleys  in  Eastern 
Oregon,  particularly  in  the  Blue  Mountain  section  very  commonly 
raise  a  few  cattle  as  a  side  issue.  They  will  have  on  these  farms 
from  25  to  100  head  which  they  will  winter  on  the  meadows,  stubble 
fields,  and  straw  stacks,  supplemented  with  a  little  alfalfa  or  clover 
hay.  In  the  summer  time  these  cattle  are  put  out  on  the  hills,  on 
the  ranges,  or  on  privately  owned  pastures.  They  are  then  given 
little  attention  through  the  summer;  the  owner  in  the  meantime 
devoting  his  time  to  the  raising  of  grain  and  hay.  In  the  fall  they 
are  brought  down  again  and  wintered  as  has  been  outlined.  This 
method  of  handling  is  not  adaptable  to  large  numbers  but  is  quite 
profitable  as  a  side  issue  to  general  farming. 

The  fattening  of  beef  cattle  in  the  winter  time  is  confined  entirely 
to  the  irrigated  alfalfa  districts.  The  practice  in  these  localities 
is  very  uniform  and  the  process  quite  simple.  The  steers  are  brought 
in  in  the  fall,  generally  at  weights  from  1000  to  1100  pounds  and  put 


OREGON  FARMER 


17 


on  alfalfa  hay.  They  are  given  all  the  alfalfa  they  can  be  persuaded 
to  eat,  which  will  be  about  40  pounds  per  head  daily.  Upon  this 
feed  they  will  gain  from  1  to  2  pounds  per  day  and  at  the  end 
of  from  3  to  5  months  will  show  a  fair  degree  of  finish  and  will  be 
sent  to  market.  This  industry  makes  a  market  for  thousands  of 
tons  of  good  alfalfa  hay,  besides  returning  the  manure  to  the  land 
and  providing  Western  markets  with  good  beef  at  the  time  when  it 
is  most  needed.  A  few  feeders  use  a  little  grain  in  connection 
with  the  alfalfa,  usually  from  5  to  10  pounds  per  day.  The  use  of 
grain,  however,  is  very  much  the  exception  and  most  of  the  feeders 
use  nothing  but  hay. 


HOGS. 
STATISTICS  ON  HOGS 


DIVISION. 

Average  per 
Litter. 

Per  cent,  of 
Two  Litters. 

Per  cent,  of 
One  Litter. 

Coast  Division                      

No. 
9.25 

Per  Cent. 
75.00 

Per  Cent. 
25.00 

8.22 

69.43 

30  57 

Willamette  Valley                      

7.44 

80.55 

19.45 

6.63 

58.74 

41  26 

7  52 

87  09 

12   61. 

8.61 

80.00 

20.00 

STATE  

7.80 

69.84 

30.16 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  SWINE 

.  PREPAREOBY THE  DEPARTMENTOfANIMALHUSBANDRY 

*EGON  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE. 


218,000  HEAD  IN  OREGON 

EACH  DOT  (•)  INDICATES  IOOOHEAD 


18  OREGON  FARMER 

According  to  the  census  of  1910  there  were  218,000  hogs  in  Oregon, 
distributed  mainly  through  the  grain  and  general  farming  sections 
as  will  be  shown  in  the  map.  At  the  present  time  we  have  no 
accurate  figures  but  the  number  in  the  state  must  be  about  500,000. 
During  the  year  of  1910,  Oregon  sent  to  the  Portland  Stock  Yards, 
26,000  head.  In  1912,  Oregon  shipped  65,000  to  Portland;  con- 
siderably more  than  twice  as  many.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
five  years  ago  three-fourths  of  the  hogs  used  in  Portland  were  shipped 
from  Nebraska.  Two  years  ago  about  two-fifths  were  from  that 
state  while  in  1912  practically  none  were  from  Nebraska  or  any  of 
the  corn  states.  At  the  present  time  Oregon  supplies  about  one- 
half  of  the  hogs  used  in  Portland  while  the  other  half  comes  from 
Idaho,  Washington,  and  Utah  with  a  very  few  from  the  other  neigh- 
boring states.  There  are  still,  however,  large  quantities  of  cured 
pork  products  shipped  into  Oregon  and  the  Northwest  from  the  corn 
states. 

The  average  number  of  pigs  per  litter  according  to  the  investiga- 
tions of  this  bureau  is  7.51  in  Eastern  Oregon  and  8.34  in  Western 
Oregon.  76  per  cent  of  the  farmers  raise  two  litters  per  year. 

There  are  very  few  exclusive  hog  farms  in  Oregon  at  the  present 
tune.  Nearly  all  of  the  hogs  are  raised  in  connection  with  the  grain, 
stock,  and  dairy  farms.  The  dairy  farmers  are  feeding  a  large 
portion  of  their  skim  milk  to  hogs  and  find  that  it  pays  them  well. 
The  Oregon  Experiment  Station  has  found,  as  result  of  eleven 
different  experiments,  that  where  skim  milk  is  fed  with  grain  to 
hogs  during  the  fattening  period  there  is  required  301  pounds  of 
ground  grain  (wheat  or  barley)  and  331  pounds  of  skim  milk  to  make 
100  pounds  of  pork.  Where  the  grain  was  fed  alone  456  pounds 
of  grain  was  required  to  make  100  pounds  of  pork.  As  an  average 
of  these  experiments  it  was  found  that  213  pounds  of  skim  milk 
took  the  place  of  100  pounds  of  grain. 

In  the  Columbia  Basin  the  wheat  raisers  find  that  they  can  raise 
a  few  hogs  to  clean  up  the  thrashing  yards  and  stubble  fields  and 
make  several  hundred  pounds  of  pork  at  practically  no  cost.  On 
the  irrigated  farms  especially  in  the  Blue  Mountain  district,  large 
numbers  of  hogs  are  raised  on  alfalfa  pasture  with  a  little  grain 
in  addition. 

Taking  the  state  as  a  whole,  the  abundance  of  forage  crops,  the 
cooler  climate,  and  freedom  from  disease  make  it  possible  to  raise 
pork  very  cheaply.  Wheat  and  barley  are  the  chief  grains  used. 
These  grains,  when  ground,  have  proven  fully  equal  if  not  superior 
to  corn  for  pork  production.  The  corn  belt  farmers  figure  that  it 
takes  about  500  pounds  of  corn  to  make  100  pounds  of  pork.  The 
Oregon  Experiment  Station  has  conclusively  shown  by  about  twenty- 
five  experiments  that  100  pounds  of  pork  can  be  made  from  450 
pounds  of  wheat  or  barley. 

On  some  farms  in  the  state  hogs  are  raised  on  alfalfa  with  no 
grain  until  the  fattening  period.  Such  a  practice  is  not  very  success- 
ful and  is  not  to  be  recommended  although  it  does  show  the  value 
of  forage. 


OREGON  FARMER 


19 


It  is  commonly  claimed  that  hogs  in  Oregon  do  not  have  the  diseases 
which  occasionally  devastate  the  herd  of  the  eastern  states.  While 
it  cannot  be  truthfully  claimed  that  none  of  these  diseases  are  known 
in  Oregon,  it  is  undoubtedly  true  that  in  our  cooler  climate  these 
diseases  are  less  virulent  and  do  not  spread  so  rapidly.  There  are 
whole  sections  of  Oregon  where  practically  no  disease  has  ever  been 
present. 

In  the  breeding  of  pure  bred  hogs  Oregon  has  made  rapid  strides. 
The  Willamette  Valley  has  more  good  pure  bred  hogs  than  any  other 
section  of  the  West,  but  even  then  can  hardly  supply  the  demand. 


HORSES. 
STATISTICS  ON  HORSES. 


DIVISION. 

Total 
Reports. 

Number  reporting  the  price  necessary  to  make 
a  profit  on  a  4-year-old  horse. 

Rate  of 
Increase. 

$40 
to 
$  59 

$60 
to 

$79 

$  80 
to 
S  99 

$100 
to 
$124 

$125 
to 
$149 

$150 
to 
$174 

$175 
to 
$199 

$200 
to 
$224 

Above 

$225 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon  

86 
8 
255 
145 
99 
142 

1 

2 

3 
1 
13 
22 
15 
20 

15 
5 
104 

48 
29 
43 

12 
1 
32 
6 
3 
3 

22 
1 
60 
15 
9 
10 

31 

'"76:25" 
88.75 
81.50 
60.12 
70.05 

Willamette  Valley  
Columbia  Basin 

'"} 

5 
4 

4 
6 
6 
16 

2 

""5" 
6 

13 

46 
27 
35 

27 

Blue  Mountain  
Central  Oregon 

5 

STATE  

735 

12 

32 

13 

123 

74 

244 

57 

117 

63 

76.34 

DISTRIBUTION  OF  HORSES 


PREPARED  BY  THE  DEPARTMENT  OFANIMAL  HUSBANDRY 


OREGON  AGRICULTURAL  COLLEGE 


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HORSES:275.000  HEAD.NOREOON 


20  OREGON  FARMER 

There  are  in  the  state  of  Oregon  some  275,000  horses,  with  a 
total  value  of  about  37  million  dollars.  These  horses,  as  is  shown 
by  the  accompanying  map,  are  scattered  pretty  well  throughout 
the  state.  They  are  rather  more  numerous  in  the  more  thoroughly 
tillable  portions,  such  as  in  the  Willamette  Valley  and  Columbia 
basin,  yet  we  find  them  everywhere;  on  the  grain  and  hay  farms, 
the  fruit  farms,  the  wheat  farms,  the  alfalfa  farms,  and  on  the  ranges. 
The  larger  portion  of  the  horses  in  Oregon  are  raised  by  the  farmer 
who  has  a  few  mares  to  do  his  farm  work  and  who  sells  a  few  colts 
each  year  as  a  by-product.  Nearly  all  of  the  farmers  in  the  grain 
and  hay  districts  raise  a  few  colts,  but  there  are  not  very  many  who 
are  in  the  horse  business  on  a  large  scale.  The  raising  of  colts  on 
these  small  farms  has  always  been  a  fruitful  source  of  income.  In 
Western  Oregon,  a  large  portion  of  the  farmers  interviewed  reported 
that  they  could  sell  a  four-year-old  colt  for  $150  or  less  and  make 
a  good  profit.  A  considerable  number  stated  that  they  could  do 
well  at  selling  colts  at  from  $100  to  $125.  In  actual  practice  it 
has  been  a  good  many  years  since  a  good  four-year-old  colt  in  Oregon 
was  not  worth  more  than  $150.  By  a  little  care  in  the  selection  of 
a  good  stallion  it  is  possible  to  raise  colts  from  common  mares  which 
will  sell  from  $200  to  $250  each.  Most  of  our  farmers,  who  have  been 
breeding  their  common  mares  to  good  pure  bred  stallions  for  several 
years,  are  selling  their  colts  for  these  prices.  The  wheat  farms  of 
the  Columbia  basin  are  among  the  most  favorably  situated  for  horse 
production.  Nearly  all  of  these  farms  have  some  waste  land  which 
in  connection  with  the  straw  and  stubble  fields  are  especially  useful 
in  raising  a  few  horses;  second,  the  big,  strong  draft  horses  which 
the  market  demands  are  just  the  kind  of  horses  which  these  farmers 
need  to  pull  their  heavy  machinery;  and  third,  the  man  who  raises 
a  good  many  horses  can  afford  to  keep  enough  to  do  his  farm  work 
at  the  right  season  and  for  that  reason  raises  larger  crops. 

In  Central  Oregon  we  have  horses  raised  on  the  farms  in  the  manner 
outlined  but  in  addition  have  large  numbers  raised  on  the  ranges. 
It  will  be  noted  from  the  table  that  a  good  many  farmers  of  Eastern 
Oregon  reported  the  price  necessary  for  a  four-year-old  horse  at  about 
$75.  The  men  giving  this  price  were  practically  all  range  stockmen. 
These  horses  are  allowed  to  run  out  on  the  open  range  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  year.  Some  do  not  feed  at  all  during  the  winter,  but 
most  feed  a  little  hay.  At  the  other  extreme  we  find  men  who  have 
their  ranges  fenced  and  who  feed  both  grain  and  hay  during  the 
winter.  Under  the  latter  system  the  cost  is  greater  than  $75  per 
head  but  the  price  actually  received  is  much  greater,  in  many  cases 
twice  as  much.  There  are  not  a  great  number  of  stockmen  raising 
horses  exclusively  but  all  of  the  cattle  and  sheep  men  raise  a  good 
many  after  the  manner  indicated.  In  former  years,  little  attempt 
was  made  at  better  blood  and  such  improved  stock  as  was  introduced 
was  of  the  light  breeds  as  the  standard  bred  and  thoroughbred. 
More  recently,  however,  much  draft  blood  is  being  introduced  and 


OREGOX  FARMER 


21 


the  popular  stallion  at  present  is  a  grade  drafter  of  the  Percheron, 
Shire,  or  Clydesdale  breed.  The  most  progressive,  however,  are 
using  pure  breds  and  the  others  are  beginning  to  see  their  advantages. 

There  are  several  nice  studs  of  pure  bred  horses,  especially  in 
Western  Oregon  and  the  Blue  Mountain  region.  Some  of  the  finest 
pure  breds  to  be  found  in  the  country  are  raised  here.  They  are 
not,  however,  raised  in  sufficient  numbers  to  meet  the  home  demand 
for  breeding  stock  and  many  stallions  and  mares  are  brought  in 
each  year  from  the  eastern  states  and  from  Europe. 

The  report  of  the  State  Stallion  Registration  Board  shows  that 
58%  of  the  stallions  of  the  state  are  pure  bred  whereas  the  average 
of  the  entire  United  States  is  less  than  50%  pure  bred.  45%  of  the 
stallions  in  Oregon  are  pure  bred  draft  horses,  so  it  can  be  seen  that 
the  Oregon  farmer  is  improving  his  horses  along  the  most  approved 
lines. 

Mules  have  not  proven  popular  with  the  farmers  in  the  Western 
part  of  the  state  and  few  are  used  or  raised.  In  the  wheat  fields 
of  the  Columbia  basin  they  are  quite  popular  and  a  large  percentage 
of  the  mules  in  the  state  are  found  in  this  section.  The  wheat 
raisers  find  them  very  useful  on  their  heavy  machinery  and  they  both 
buy  and  raise  a  good  many.  In  Central  Oregon,  not  many  are 
worked,  but  there  are  a  good  many  raised  on  the  ranges.  The  mules 
seem  particularly  adapted  to  range  conditions  and  it  has  been  found 
possible  to  raise  splendid  mules  on  the  ranges  even  from  common 
mares.  Central  Oregon  and  the  Blue  Mountain  section  are  about 
the  only  parts  of  the  state  which  produce  a  surplus  of  mules.  These 
are  mostly  shipped  to  California  and  the  other  states  to  the  South. 
Most  of  the  jacks  come  from  the  southern  corn-belt  states  although 
there  are  a  few  herds  of  jennets  in  Oregon  and  some  very  good  jacks 
are  being  raised.  They  meet  with  a  good  demand  in  the  mule 
raising  sections  of  the  state. 


SHEEP. 


STATISTICS  ON  SHEEP. 


DIVISION 

Per  Cent. 
Increase. 

Loss  From 
Wild 
Animals. 

Average. 
Wool  Clip 

Cost  of 
Winter- 
ing. 

Pasture 
per  Head 

Value 
Land   per 
Acre. 

Age  Ewes 
are  sold. 

Southern  Division  
Coast  Division  
Willamette  Valley  
Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountain  
Central  Oregon  

Per  Cent. 
85.9 
102.5 
87.38 
88.25 
82.71 
83.75 

Per  Cent. 
3.00 
1.20 
6.50 
3.25 
6.91 
5.62 

Ib. 
8.66 
8.12 
10.50 
7.34 
8.35 
9.50 

$  .50 
.41 
.50 
.83 
.71 
.63 

A. 
2.27 
2.42 
1.20 
1.40 
2.95 
2.50 

$16.93 
28.54 
38.3 
8.40 
15.38 
6.00 

Yrs. 
5.36 
7.12 
5.38 
5.53 
7.11 
6.75 

STATE  

88.36 

5.25 

9.11 

.65 

2.23 

22  16 

64 

22 


OREGON  FARMER 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  SHEEP 

EACH  DASH  (I)  INDICATES  IOOO  HEAD 


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There  are  at  the  present  time  over  3  million  sheep  in  the  state  of 
Oregon.  Sheep  are  grown  in  all  parts  of  the  state,  especially  in  Eastern 
Oregon,  but  as  will  be  shown  on  the  map,  the  sheep  centers  are  along  the 
border  between  the  Columbia  Basin  and  the  Blue  Mountain  section. 
In  Western  Oregon  most  of  the  sheep  are  raised  in  the  Willamette  Valley. 

Sheep  raising  in  Oregon  may  be  divided  into  three  divisions;  rais- 
ing sheep  on  the  range  for  mutton  and  wool;  raising  of  spring 
lambs  in  the  Willamette  valley  and  other  parts  of  Western  Oregon; 
and  the  raising  of  pure  bred  sheep. 

The  range  sheep  industry  is  a  very  large  one  in  this  state.  The 
report  of  the  Tariff  Board  based  upon  accurate  figures  concerning 
230  thousand  sheep  in  this  state  gives  the  following  interesting 
information:  The  average  wool  clip  per  head  is  8.9  pounds,  this 
wool  being  produced  at  a  cost  of  somewhat  less  than  11  cents  per 
pound  after  allowing  /or  all  expenses,  salary  of  manager,  cost  of 
feed  and  pasture.  The  average  per  centage  of  increase  was  79.6  per 
cent.  The  Oregon  Statistical  Bureau,  however,  shows  for  the  farmers 
interviewed  an  average  per  centage  increase  of  84.3  per  cent  for 
Eastern  Oregon,  and  an  average  wool  clip  of  9.38  pounds.  It  will 
thus  be  seen  that  the  average  wool  clip  and  the  average  per  centage 
of  increase  of  both  are  considerably  above  the  average  of  the  whole 
United  States,  or  even  of  the  entire  West.  According  to  the  Tariff 
Board  report  the  average  wool  clip  of  the  entire  West  is  7.3  pounds 
and  an  average  increase  of  70.3  per  cent. 


OREGON  FARMER  23 

Most  of  the  range  sheep  are  run  on  the  lower  lands  in  the  winter 
time  where  they  are  grazed  on  the  dry  bunch  grass  left  over  from 
summer.  Where  there  is  an  abundance  of  this  grass,  it  cures  down 
and  makes  a  good  nutritious  feed.  Such  grass  is,  however,  always 
supplemented  with  more  or  less  hay  during  the  winter.  The  Eastern 
Oregon  sheep  men  report  an  annual  average  expenditure  of  72  cents 
per  head  for  hay  and  forage  for  wintering.  During  the  summer 
these  sheep  are  driven  on  the  higher  mountains  where  they  can  get 
green  grass  throughout  the  year.  The  lower  sage  brush  hills  become 
quite  dry  in  July  and  August  and  are  not  suitable  for  pasture  for 
ewes  and  lambs,  although  they  may  be  splendid  during  other  seasons 
of  the  year.  In  the  higher  mountains,  however,  there  is  much  green 
grass,  particularly  in  the  forest  reserves,  and  it  is  here  that  most 
of  the  sheep  are  kept  during  midsummer.  There  are  immense 
bands  of  sheep  throughout  the  Blue  Mountains  and  on  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  Cascades.  The  sheep  are  usually  handled  in  bands 
from  2000  to  2500.  It  has  been  found  that  they  can  be  handled 
more  economically  and  profitably  in  bands  of  this  size.  Very  few 
men  attempt  to  run  sheep  on  the  range  with  very  many  less  than 
this.  Where  they  have  a  larger  number,  they  are  subdivided  into 
several  bands  of  about  this  size.  In  Eastern  Oregon,  about  1600 
sheep  are  run  for  each  twelve  months  employee. 

There  are  many  large  sheep  men  whose  holdings  run  up  to  several 
thousands.  The  great  majority,  however,  do  not  own  nearly  so 
many.  There  are  hundreds  of  men  throughout  the  state  running 
just  one  band  of  ewes  and  doing  very  nicely  with  them.  It  takes 
little  more  money  to  start  a  band  of  sheep  than  to  start  a  small  farm, 
but  at  the  same  time  it  does  not  require  any  excessive  amount  of 
capital.  In  the  early  days  there  were  many  bands  of  sheep  owned 
by  men  who  had  no  real  estate  holdings  whatever.  This  condition, 
however,  no  longer  exists  and  all  of  the  sheep  men  now  have  some 
land  where  they  raise  hay  and  provide  winter  quarters  for  their 
sheep.  They  may  also  own  a  good  deal  of  their  range,  particularly 
their  winter  range.  Their  summer  range  is  nearly  always  on  Govern- 
ment land  and  commonly  in  the  forest  reserves. 

The  raising  of  spring  lambs  in  Western  Oregon  is  a  radically 
different  industry  from  the  range  sheep  business  east  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains.  A  very  large  portion  of  the  small  farmers  in  Western 
Oregon  handle  a  few  sheep,  generally  from  10  to  50  head.  These  are 
allowed  to  rough  it  through  the  winter,  picking  up  a  little  grass  around 
the  fences  and  being  fed  a  little  hay  in  the  winter.  The  lambs  come 
rather  early  and  grow  rapidly  on  pasture  or  forage  crops,  such  as  rye, 
vetch,  clover,  and  rape.  The  springs  are  much  earlier  than  in 
Eastern  Oregon  and  there  is  a  greater  abundance  of  green  forage  so 
that  the  lambs  are  both  born  earlier  and  grow  faster.  They  are 
usually  ready  for  market  before  July.  Many  of  them  are  put  on  the 
market  at  a  much  earlier  time  than  this  and  it  is  entirely  feasible  and 
practicable  to  market  these  lambs  in  March  or  April,  as  some  of  the 
most  progressive  farmers  are  already  doing.  After  the  lambs  are 


24  OREGON  FARMER 

gone,  the  ewes  are  allowed  to  rough  it  and  pick  up  their  living 
around  the  stubble  fields  and  meadows.  Handled  in  this  way  a  few 
sheep  on  the  farm  clean  up  a  lot  of  weeds  and  waste  material  and 
so  cost  very  little,  but  at  the  same  time  bring  in  quite  an  income. 
These  sheep  are  practically  all  of  the  mutton  breeds,  mostly  Cotswold 
and  Shropshire.  There  are  very  few  Merinos. 

The  raising  of  pure  bred  sheep  has  become  quite  an  industry  in 
Oregon  and  has  made  some  parts  of  the  state  famous  throughout 
the  country.  In  Eastern  Oregon  there  are  a  number  of  large  flocks 
of  very  high  grade  sheep,  particularly  of  the  Merino  and  Ram- 
bouillet  strains.  One  company  has  in  Eastern  Oregon  probably 
spread  more  good  Merino  and  Rambouillet  stock  through  the  North- 
west than  any  other  firm.  Western  Oregon  and  particularly  the 
Willamette  valley  has  become  famous  as  a  breeding  ground  for  high 
class  long  wool  sheep,  particularly  of  Cotswold  and  Lincoln  breeds. 
It  seems  that  the  climatic  and  forage  conditions  in  this  section  are 
peculiarly  adapted  to  these  breeds  and  we  find  them  developed  to  a 
degree  of  perfection  which  is  not  equaled  anywhere  else  in  the  United 
States.  Recently  prominent  importers  of  Cotswold  and  Lincoln 
sheep,  who  have  been  hi  the  habit  of  sending  to  England  every  year 
for  sheep  for  Eastern  shows  have  come  to  the  Willamette  valley 
and  have  been  able  to  get  better  stuff  than  they  could  import. 
Many  of  the  best  flocks  of  long  wool  sheep  in  the  Willamette  valley 
have  been  bred  in  this  district  for  many  years. 

On  the  whole  the  raising  of  sheep  in  Oregon  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  of  the  live  stock  industries.  There  is  no  other  line  of 
agriculture  in  the  state  which  has  already  built  up  as  many  substan- 
tial fortunes  and  there  is  no  other  which  offers  a  better  promise 
of  the  future. 

GOAT  RAISING  IN  OREGON. 

Goat  raising  has  become  a  prominent  industry  in  the  western  part 
of  the  state.  Oregon  ranks  among  the  leading  goat  raising  states 
of  the  Union,  being  about  third  as  to  numbers  and  distinctly  first 
as  to  quality.  The  finest  Angoras  in  America  are  produced  in  the 
Willamette  valley  and  they  are  produced  in  large  numbers.  Through- 
out the  foothill  section  of  Western  Oregon,  especially  in  the  coast 
district,  we  find  considerable  areas  of  brushy,  rough,  land.  This 
condition  combined  with  our  mild  winters  and  cool  summers  makes 
an  ideal  place  for  goats.  The  goats  shear  nearly  as  heavy  a  fleece 
as  do  sheep  and  the  mohair  has  been  selling  at  from  35  to  45  cents 
per  pound.  In  addition  to  the  income  from  the  mohair  there  is  a 
still  greater  income  from  clearing  up  the  brush.  Many  of  these 
brushy  pastures  which  are  practically  worthless  in  the  beginning 
are  made  into  valuable  land  by  pasturing  with  goats  for  a  few  years. 
There  are  still  immense  areas  of  Western  Oregon  which  are  at  the 
present  time  producing  little  or  nothing,  but  which  would  produce 
a  good  income  with  goats  and  after  a  few  years  of  pasturing  would 
be  valuable  for  many  other  purposes. 


OREGON  FARMER 


THE  DAIRY  INDUSTRY  IN  OREGON. 

BY  F.  L.  KENT 
Professor  of  Dairy  Husbandry. 

rS  stated  elsewhere  in  this  publication,  it  was  deemed  advisable 
to  consider  the  results  of  the  survey  by  districts  rather  than  to  re- 
gard each  county  as  a  separate  unit.  The  general  scheme  of  mak- 
ing six  divisions  of  the  state  has  been  followed  in  considering  the  data 
gathered  relative  to  dairying.  However,  it  was  thought  advisable 
to  set  forth  certain  facts  relative  to  each  county  in  the  several  divisions 
and  accordingly  the  table  on  this  page  has  been  prepared  from  the 
latest  U.  S.  census  figures.  The  special  dairy  item  in  this  table  states 
the  number  of  dairy  cows  in  each  county,  and  incidentally  shows  the 
relation  of  dairy  cows  to  population  and  acreage.  It  will  be  observed 

POPULATION,  AREA,  NUMBER  DAIRY  COWS. 
Report  U.  S.  Census  for  1910. 


Population. 

Area,   Acres. 

Per   Cent. 
Land  in 
Farms. 

No.  Farms. 

No. 
Dairy  Cows. 

Coast  Division: 
Clatsop  
Coos          

16,106 
17,959 

525,440 
1,041,920 

10.3 
19  4 

369 
1,128 

3325 
8,544 

2,044 

958  720 

11  1 

292 

1  948 

Lincoln  
Tillamook 

5,587 
6,266 

645,120 
720000 

24.5 
13  1 

961 
651 

3,385 
8481 

Willamette  Valley: 
Benton  

10,663 

440,320 

53  5 

1,098 

5,083 

Clackamas 

29,931 

1,192,960 

25  2 

3,646 

11,378 

Columbia  

10,580 
33,783 

423,680 
2,951  680 

21.6 
16  4 

813 
2,826 

4,515 
10891 

Linn  
Marion 

22,662 
39,780 

1,435,520 
764,160 

32.2 
51  6 

2,751 
3,490 

13,802 
13,467 

Multnomah  
Polk 

226,261 
13,469 

288,640 
453,760 

29.9 
57  4 

1,478 
1,557 

7,777 
5,931 

Washington  
Yamhill  

Southern  Oregon: 
Douglas 

21,522 
18,285 

19,674 

467,840 
456,960 

3  150  080 

51.4 
60.0 

18  3 

2,871 
2,218 

2  124 

12,678 
7,751 

6,666 

Jackson  
Josephine  

Columbia  Basin: 
Gi  Ilium  

25,756 
9,567 

3,701 

1,815,040 
1,120,640 

768,640 

16.4 
10.9 

56.5 

1,714 
855 

432 

3,824 
2.011 

896 

Hood  River  
Morrow  

8,016 
4,357 

347,520 
1,296,000 

10.9 
52.0 

744 
614 

780 
1,653 

Sherman  
Umatilla  
Wasco  

Blue  Mountain: 
Baker 

4,242 
20,309 
16,336 

18,076 

535,040 
2,030,720 
1,499,520 

1,958  400 

69.6 
51.7 
36.3 

15  2 

466 
2,005 
1,331 

1  304 

953 
4,ft51 
2,386 

4802 

Grant  
Union  
Wallowa  
Wheeler 

5,607 
16,191 
8,364 
2,484 

2,892,800 
1,335,680 
2,012,800 
1,090560 

15.4 
29.6 
17.6 
38  1 

773 
1,309 
1,058 

387 

3,053 

4,681 
3  .42o 
1,277 

Central  Oregon: 
Crook  
Harney  
Klamath  
Lake  
Malheur 

9,315 
4,059 
8,554 
4,658 
8,601 

4,977,920 
6,357,120 
3,839,360 
5,068,800 
6  325  120 

11.5 

8.8 
11.8 
7.9 
3  6 

1,355 
443 
926 
712 
801 

2,908 
1,840 
3,166 
1,733 

2,888 

THE  STATE  .  . 

672,765 

61,188,480 

*      19.1 

45,502 

172,550 

26 


OREGON  FARMER 


that,  in  the  state  as  a  whole,  the  table  shows  practically  one  cow 
for  each  four  persons,  and  one  cow  for  each  354  acres  of  the  whole 
area,  or  one  cow  for  each  67.6  acres  of  the  reported  area  in  farms. 
In  one  county  only,  Tillamook,  is  the  number  of  cows  greater  than 
the  population. 

The  ratio  of  dairy  cows  to  population  as  shown  in  the  foregoing 
table,  practically  one  to  four,  is  even  higher  at  the  present  time 
because  the  human  population  has  increased  more  rapidly  than  the 
"cow"  population.  Comparing  the  cows  and  population  in  some 
of  the  best  known  dairy  states  we  find  the  following: 


STATE. 

Population. 

No.  Cows. 

Population 
Per  Cow. 

Wisconsin  

2,333,860 

1,473,505 

1  6 

Minnesota  ...        ... 

2,075,708 

1,085  388 

2  0 

Iowa  

2,224,771 

1,406,792 

1.6 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  number  of  cows  in  proportion  to 
population  is  about  two  and  one-third  times  greater  in  the  three 
states  referred  to  than  in  the  state  of  Oregon.  This  condition  of 
affairs  would  seem  to  indicate  that  there  need  be  no  fear  of  dairy 
over-production  in  Oregon  in  the  very  near  future.  Further,  the 
census  figures  show  that  the  state  of  Washington  on  the  North  has 
1,141,900  people  and  186,233  cows,  or  one  cow  to  about  every  six 
people,  and  California,  our  Southern  neighbor,  has  2,377,549  people 
and  467,332  dairy  cows,  or  practically  one  cow  for  every  five  people. 
With  Oregon  alone  importing  annually  nearly  100  carloads  of  dairy 
products  it  does  not  appear  that  there  can  be  any  question  as  to  the 
demand  for  the  local  product  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

NUMBER  AND  VALUE  OF  COWS  AND  HEIFERS. 


Coast 
Division. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley. 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 
Mts. 

Central 

Total  No.  Farms  in  State,  1910 
Census  

4214 
176 
158 
3681 
$205,003.00 
$55.70 
1052 
$37,299.00 
$35.45 

28.6 
22.7 

21935 
556 
455 
3330 
$228,416.00 
$68.60 
1429 
$53,166.00 
$37.20 

43.5 
7.3 

4693 
231 
165 
883 
$49,761.00 
$56.35 
231 
$7,992.00 
$34.60 

E   26.2 
5.4 

5592 
235 
79 
448 
$28,176.00 
$52.90 
202 
$5,714.00 
$28.29 

45.1 
5.7 

4831 
201 
76 
721 
$41,227.00 
$57.18 
164 
$5,807.00 
$35.41 

22.7 
9.5 

4237 
212 
140 
1004 
$65,198.00 
$64.94 
348 
$14,428.00 
$38.60 

34.6 
7.2 

No.  Farms  reported  in  the  Survey 
No.  Farms  reporting  cows  
Total  No.  cowa  reported  

Total  value 

Average  value  

Total  No.  heifers  reported  
Total  value 

Average  value  

Heifers  compared  with  cows,  per 
cent 

Average  No.  cows  per  farm*  

*Average  number  of  cows  per  farm  applies  to  number  of  farms  reporting  cows,  not  to  whole 
number  of  farms  reported. 

Values  as  given  for  both  cows  and  heifers  are  somewhat  lower  than 
actual  prices  at  which  sales  are  being  made  at  this  time  (April, 
1913).  Good  grade  cows  in  the  Willamette  Valley  are  selling  at 
$70.00  to  $75.00  and  choice  grades  $80.00  to  $90.00.  Pure  bred 
animals  are  of  course  higher,  the  prices  depending  considerably  on 
quality. 


OREGON  FARMER 


27 


In  the  Columbia  Basin,  Blue  Mountain  and  Central  Divisions, 
dairy  cattle  values  are  now  considerably  higher  than  shown  in  the 
table.  Quite  a  number  of  young  animals  have  been  brought  into 
these  sections  within  twelve  months,  from  Wisconsin,  Illinois, 
Iowa,  and  probably  other  middle  west  states.  The  greater  portion 
of  this  stock  has  been  of  the  Holstein  breed,  and  high  grade  two- 
year-old  heifers  due  to  freshen  in  the  spring  have  cost  from  $75.00 
to  $90.00  "laid  down"  in  these  sections.  One  shipment  to  one  town 
in  Umatilla  County  consisted  of  145  head,  nearly  all  high  grade 
Holsteins,  including  five  registered  Holstein  bulls. 

SIZE  OF  HERDS  AND  AVERAGE  VALUE  PER  COW. 


Coast 
Division. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley. 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 
Mts. 

Central. 

No.  farms  reported  

176 

556 

231 

235 

201 

212 

18 

101 

66 

156 

125 

72 

No.  reporting  1  cow  

0 

39 
$63  00 

33 
$57  00 

7 
$57  50 

3 

$50  00 

19 
$56  50 

No.  reporting  2-5  cows  
Average  Value 

14 
$52  00 

234 
$63  00 

82 
$58  00 

43 
$61  00 

31 

$56  00 

58 
$61  00 

No.  reporting  6-lOcows  
Average  Value 

25 
$54  00 

102 
$67  00 

35 
$55  00 

20 
$61  00 

27 
$53  00 

39 
$60  00 

No.  reporting  11-20  cows  
Average  Value 

47 
$54  00 

53 

$84  00 

12 
$53  00 

7 
$82  00 

11 

$56  00 

18 
$69  00 

No.  reporting  21-30  cows  
Average  Value 

29 

$57  00 

15 
$61  00 

1 

$50  00 

1 
$60  00 

0 

1 
$40  00 

No.  reporting  31-40  cows  

25 

5 

1 

1 

0 

3 

Average  Value  ... 

$53  00 

$65  00 

$70  00 

$90  00 

$63  00 

No.  reporting  over  40  cows  
Average  Value  

18 
$61.00 

7 
$84.00 

$75.00 

0 

3 

$67.00 

2 
$75.00 

The  purpose  of  the  above  table  is  to  give  some  idea  of  the  size 
of  the  herds  kept  in  the  various  sections.  It  will  be  observed  that 
in  the  Coast  division,  the  largest  number  of  farms  keep  from  11  to 
20  cows,  while  in  all  other  sections,  on  the  majority  of  the  farms 
five  or  less  is  the  number  usually  found. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  11-20  group  is  a  high  valuation  one 
in  the  Willamette  Valley.  This  is  probably  due  to  a  considerable 
number  of  pure  bred  herds  falling  in  this  group. 


FARMS  REPORTING  INCOME  FROM  COWS. 


Coast 
Div. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 

Mts. 

Central. 

No.  farms  reported 

176 

556 

231 

235 

201 

212 

No.  reporting  cows  

158 

445 

165 

79 

76 

140 

No.  reporting  income 

151 

413 

123 

34 

37 

75 

No.  cows,  income  reported  
Total  income  reported  
Average  income  per  cow  

3609 
$240,581.00 
$66.66 

3094 
$219,600.00 
$70  98 

774 
$44,946.00 
$58  07 

274 
$13,943.00 

$50  88 

353 
$18,544.00 
$52  53 

679 
$33,036.00 
$48  65 

The  item,  "average  income  per  cow,"  takes  into  consideration 
as  a  rule  only  the  direct  income  from  the  sale  of  milk  or  cream  as 
indicated  by  the  monthly  checks  received.  Due  allowance  should 
be  made  for  the  value  of  skim  milk  in  addition,  as  the  figures  given 
are  based  on  a  butter  fat  price  basis. 


28  OREGON  FARMER 

While  the  average  income  as  stated  above  probably  represents 
average  conditions  pretty  closely,  many  herds  show  a  much  higher 
income.  An  average  of  the  three  highest  herds  reported  from  each 
of  several  counties  gives  a  figure  in  excess  of  $100.00  per  cow.  For 
instance,  in  Clatsop  County,  three  herds  containing  a  total  of  50 
cows  are  reported  as  averaging  $118.59  per  cow  in  one  year.  But 
the  three  herds  reporting  lowest  income  in  Clatsop  County,  contain- 
ing a  total  of  83  cows,  show  an  average  per  cow  of  only  $29.26.  It 
is  probable  that  the  figures  just  given  include  the  sale  of  some  sweet 
cream  which  can  usually  be  sold  at  a  price  considerably  in  advance 
of  ordinary  prices  paid  for  cream  for  butter  making  purposes. 

In  Tillamook  County,  where  practically  all  milk  sold  is  made 
into  cheese  an  average  of  the  three  highest  income  producing  herds 
reported,  containing  a  total  of  61  cows,  shows  an  average  per  cow 
of  $114.59.  But  the  three  lowest  producing  herds,  containing  71 
cows,  show  an  average  per  cow  per  year  of  only  $37.61.  These 
averages  are  segregated  from  a  total  of  41  farms  reporting  incomes. 
Tillamook  County  is  the  great  cheese  producing  region  of  the 
Pacific  coast,  and  the  product  has  a  great  reputation  for  uniformly 
high  quality.  A  co-operative  selling  association  handles  the  greater 
portion  of  the  product,  and  has  proven  a  most  effective  selling  agency 
from  the  standpoint  of  both  seller  and  buyer.  For  the  year  1912, 
the  product  of  twenty-two  factories  is  reported  as  follows : 

Pounds  of  milk  received 36,534,575 

Pounds  of  cheese  made 4,016,150 

Amount  received  for  cheese  sold $646,132.90 

Average  price  per  pound $  .161 

Pounds  cheese  per  100  pounds  milk 10.99 

Information  is  not  at  hand  to  show  how  many  cows  produced 
the  milk  from  which  this  four  million  pounds  of  cheese  was  made. 
But  the  latest  U.  S.  census  gives  the  total  number  of  farms  in  Tilla- 
mook County  as  651,  and  since  the  output  of  all  the  factories  in 
the  county  is  not  included  in  the  foregoing  tabulation,  we  can  safely 
say  that  the  average  per  farm  is  considerably  in  excess  of  $1,000.00. 

While  averages  show  what  is  actually  being  done  by  the  many, 
the  higher  incomes  of  the  few  indicate  what  it  is  possible  to  accom- 
plish. A  bit  of  history  of  one  Linn  County  dairy  farm  is  of  interest 
in  this  connection.  About  four  years  ago,  this  farm  of  some  three 
hundred  acres  was  purchased  for  less  than  $40.00  per  acre.  The 
place  had  been  poorly  farmed  and  it  was  necessary  to  build  a  new 
cow  barn  as  one  of  the  first  improvements.  The  family  consisted  of 
father,  mother,  and  one  grown  son.  They  are  "book  farmers," 
that  is,  they  keep  account  of  the  income  and  the  expenditures  of 
the  farm  and  the  account  for  the  year  1912  shows  a  net  profit  of 
about  $3,600.00  after  deducting  all  expenses,  including  an  allowance 
of  six  per  cent  interest  on  the  investment.  The  dairy  herd  consists 
of  about  equal  numbers  of  pure  bred  and  high  grade  Jerseys.  The 
product  is  sold  in  the  form  of  sweet  cream,  shipped  nearly  a  hundred 
miles  to  Portland.  Allowing  25  cents  per  hundred  as  the  value 
of  the  skim  milk,  in  addition  to  the  receipts  for  butter  fat,  the  average 


OREGON  FARMER 


29 


production  per  cow  was  $145.00  for  the  year  1912,  and  about  $140.00 
for  the  year  1911,  although  nearly  one  half  of  the  cows  in  1911  were 
heifers  with  first  calves.  True  this  dairyman  gets  about  40  cents 
per  pound  for  butter  fat  throughout  the  year,  but  two  or  three 
different  firms  were  willing  to  pay  the  price  for  1913,  that  he  received 
in  1911  and  1912. 

A  less  extensive  report  comes  from  Benton  County,  showing  an 
income  of  $150.84  for  the  month  of  March  (1913),  for  butter  fat 
alone  sold  to  a  creamery,  from  a  herd  of  fifteen  cows.  Milk  and 
cream  for  a  family  of  four  adults  was  also  used  on  the  farm.  The 
cows  in  this  herd  for  the  most  part  freshened  during  September, 
so  all  were  past  their  best  milk  flow.  These  cows  are  rather  high 
grade  Jerseys,  but  are  no  better  than  many  other  grade  herds 
scattered  over  the  state. 

Cost  of  Milk  Production:  It  was  found  to  be  next  to  impossible 
to  secure  definite  data  relative  to  the  cost  of  producing  milk  and 
milk  products.  The  cost  of  feed  during  the  winter  months  as 
estimated  by  a  very  few  dairymen  ranged  around  $5.00  or  $6.00 
per  month  for  cows  fed  a  full  winter  ration.  During  the  summer 
months  in  cases  where  pasture  was  available,  the  cost  of  keeping 
a  cow  was  estimated  at  $1.00  to  $1.50  per  month.  Where  the  soiling 
system  was  practiced  the  cost  per  cow  per  month  was  estimated  at 
about  $2.50.  If  we  assume  that  the  cost  of  feeding  the  cow  was 
$5.00  per  month  for  six  months  and  $2.50  per  month  for  the  remaining 
six  months  of  the  year,  we  have  a  total  feed  cost  of  $45.00  per  cow 
per  year.  In  some  instances  the  cost  would  no  doubt  be  higher  than 
this  figure  and  in  others  very  much  lower.  But  for  good  cows  well 
fed  for  winter  milk  production,  the  feed  costs  would  range  pretty 
close  around  $45.00  per  head  per  year.  Of  course  if  the  heaviest 
milk  production  occurs  with  the  cows  on  good  pasture,  the  feed  cost 
will  be  greatly  reduced. 

LABOR  AND  WAGES. 


Coast 
Div. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley. 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 
Mts. 

Central. 

No  farms  reported 

176 

556 

231 

235 

9Q1 

212 

No.  farms  reporting  cowa  

158 

455 

165 

79 

76 

140 

No.  cows  reported  ."  

3681 

3330 

883 

448 

721 

1004 

No.  COWB,  labor  reported  for  
Total  hours  labor  per  day 

3130 
1196 

2698 
926 

761 
290 

286 
95 

260 
115 

942 
360 

Average  time  per  cow,  minimum.  .  . 
No.  farms  reporting  wages 

23 
72 

21 
35 

23 
7 

20 
3 

27 
4 

22 
6 

Average  wages  per  Month  

$38.30 

$38.00 

$34.65 

$35.00 

$38.75 

$37.50 

Two  systems  are  followed  in  the  employment  of  labor  on  the 
dairy  farm.  The  most  common  arrangement  is  to  have  each  milker 
care  for  six  to  ten  cows,  thus  putting  in  two  or  three  hours  per  day 
in  dairy  work,  and  the  greater  part  of  his  time  in  the  field.  As  most 
of  the  dairy  herds  consist  of  less  than  ten  cows,  this  plan  must  of 
necessity  be  the  most  common  one.  On  the  larger  dairy  farms 
many  proprietors  consider  it  best  to  have  the  men  who  do  the  milking 
spend  their  entire  time  at  dairy  work,  and  on  such  farms  twenty 


30 


OREGON  FARMER 


to  twenty-four  cows  are  considered  a  "string",  and  by  the  time  a  man 
feeds,  grooms,  milks,  and  cleans  stables  for  this  number  of  cows 
he  is  considered  as  having  done  a  fair  day's  work.  In  summer 
when  the  cows  go  to  pasture,  the  work  of  feeding  and  cleaning  stables 
is  considerably  reduced  and  a  man  will  have  time  for  some  other 
work.  On  some  dairy  farms,  it  is  the  practice  to  pay  hired  help 
higher  wages  during  the  summer  months  and  require  more  hours 
work  per  day  than  during  the  winter  season.  In  some  cases,  as 
high  as  $50.00  per  month  is  paid  during  part  of  the  summer,  with 
the  winter  wage  at  $30.00  per  month.  These  wages  as  well  as  the 
averages  given  in  the  foregoing  table,  include  board  and  lodging. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  larger  dairymen,  and  particularly  the 
breeders  of  pure  bred  stock,  employ  men  with  families,  furnishing 
them  with  house  and  certain  privileges  in  the  line  of  garden,  poultry, 
and  dairy  products.  Where  men  are  employed  under  this  sort  of 
arrangement,  the  wages  range  from  $50.00  to  $75.00  per  month. 
In  case  the  help  is  given  a  large  measure  of  responsibility  his  com- 
pensation will  be  still  higher.  In  still  other  cases  a  man  and  wife 
both  are  employed,  the  wife  helping  with  the  house  work,  and  both 
having  their  board  furnished  by  the  management.  Under  such  an 
arrangement,  man  and  wife  jointly  receive  $60.00  to  $90.00  per 
month. 

BREEDS  OF  CATTLE. 


Coast 
Div. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley. 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 
Mts. 

Central. 

Cows: 

Total  farms  reported             

176 

556 

231 

235 

201 

212 

Total  farms  reporting  cows  
Total  farms  reporting  breed  of  
No  of  Jerseyi  grades 

158 
158.... 
1508 

455 
446 
2106 

165 
146 
560 

t  79 
67 
249 

r  76 
68 
316 

140 
135 

264 

No.  of  Jersey.  P.  B.  *  
No  of  Holstein,  grades 

12 
641 

92 
200 

11 

5 

40 
36 

"-2 

'"121  ' 

No.  of  Holstein,  P.  B  

39 

4 

13 

No.  of  Guernsey,  grades  
No  of  Guernsey  P  B 

45 

46 
65 

10 

57 

No.  of  Ayrshire,  grades  
No  of  Ayrshire,  P  B 

25 

43 
20 

No.  of  Herford  ,  grades  

6 

7 

No.  of  Brown  Swiss,  grades 

20 

No.  of  Short  Horn,  grades  

162 

237 

96 

57 

69 

230 

No.  of  Short  Horn,  P.  B  

5 

12 

No.  of  Mixed  breeds  

1217 

353 

195 

81 

299 

233 

Sires: 

No.  of  farms  reporting  breed  
No.  of  Jersey,  grades  

129 
37 

269 
91 

43 
19 

30 
11 

16 
6 

46 

8 

No.  of  Jersey,  P.  B  
No.  of  Holstein  ,  grades  

40 
17 

102 
10 

12 
1 

8 
1 

11 

8 
3 

No.  of  Holstein,  P.  B. 

2 

17 

2 

6 

No  of  Guernsey   grades 

7 

No  of  Guernsey  P  B 

4 

5 

2 

No.  of  Ayrshire,  grades 

1 

3 

No  of  Ayrshire  P  B 

1 

2 

No.  of  Herford,  grades  
No  of  Herford,  P  B 

4 
1 

2 

1 

3 

1 

2 

No.  of  Brown  Swiss,  P.  B  

1 

No.  of  Short  Horn,  grades 

7 

14 

8 

4 

2 

14 

No.  of  Short  Horns,  P.  B  

2 

15 

2 

1 

2 

No.  of  Mixed  breeds  

20 

13 

i 

1 

4 

7 

*P.  B.  means  pure  bred. 

In  several  cases  two  or  more  bulls  were  reported  on  one  farm. 


OREGON  FARMER 


31 


A  very  undesirable  condition  of  affairs  with  reference  to  dairy  sires, 
is  revealed  by  the  table  on  the  opposite  page.  It  will  be  observed  that 
in  each  of  the  six  divisions,  except  the  Willamette  Valley  division, 
the  number  of  grade  and  mixed  breeding  (scrub)  sires  exceeds  the 
number  of  pure  bred  sires.  In  the  Coast  division  the  pure  bred 
sires  are  outnumbered  two  to  one.  The  use  of  pure  bred  sires  is 
the  most  potent  factor  in  effecting  improvement  in  the  producing 
capacity  of  a  dairy  herd,  and  the  dairyman  who  tries  to  economize 
by  using  an  inferior  bull  is  following  a  very  short  sighted  policy. 

Reference  to  the  table  will  show  a  very  large  preponderance  of 
Jerseys,  among  the  grades  as  well  as  the  pure  breds.  The  Willamette 
division  in  particular  is  shown  to  be  a  decidedly  Jersey  district. 

NUMBER  AND  KINDS  OF  CREAM  SEPARATORS. 


Coast 
Div. 

Willam- 
ette 
Valley. 

Southern 
Oregon. 

Columbia 
Basin. 

Blue 

Mt8. 

Central. 

No  farms  reported 

176 
158 
90 
29 
16 
14 
15 
5 
3 
3 
4 
1 
1 
1 

556 
455 
303 
62 
72 
40 
32 
38 
26 
13 
2 
3 
4 
2 
3 
6 

231 
165 
83 
20 
23 
15 
9 
5 
7 

235 
79 
31 
13 
2 
11 
1 

201 
76 
39 
15 
4 
5 
6 

3 
1. 

212 
140 
73 
22 
14 
15 
4 
5 
3 

1 
1 
2 

No.  of  farms  reporting  cows  
No.  of  farms  reporting  separators.  .  . 
De  Laval  

Sharpies 

Economy  Chief  

Simplex 

u  s.  

Iowa 

Galloway  
American 

2 
2 

1 

1 
1 

1 

Dairy  Maid  
Omega 

1 

Reid 

Miscellaneous 

1 

3 

5 

Reference  to  the  above  table  indicates  to  some  extent  the 
importance  of  the  cream  separator  as  a  part  of  the  dairy  farm  equip- 
ment. The  use  of  the  separator  on  farms  selling  the  product  to 
creameries  is  almost  universal  except  in  some  parts  of  the  Coast 
division,  particularly  Coos  County,  where  whole  milk  is  delivered 
to  the  creamery.  In  the  cheese  making  districts  there  is  not  much 
use  for  the  separator.  The  49  farms  reported  in  Tillamook  County 
show  only  six  cream  separators. 

The  table  shows  something  of  the  variety  of  cream  separators 
now  on  the  market.  The  "miscellaneous"  portion  of  the  tabulation 
represents  nine  different  kinds  of  separators  in  addition  to  the  12 
individually  listed. 

Markets:  The  Oregon  market  for  dairy  products  is  one  of  the 
highest  in  the  United  States.  Butter  prices  in  Portland  range  from 
3  to  6  cents  higher  than  butter  prices  in  Chicago,  New  York  and 
other  Eastern  markets.  The  Portland  price  is  also  usually  some- 
what in  advance  of  the  San  Francisco  market.  The  state  is  well 
supplied  with  creameries,  cheese  factories  and  condensing  estab- 
lishments, so  that  the  milk  producer  has  little  trouble  in  finding  a 
ready  sale  for  his  product.  Practically  all  milk  and  cream  sold  to 


32 


OREGON  FARMER 


factories  of  the  various  classes  is  sold  on  a  butter-fat  basis.  Cheese 
factories  and  condensing  establishments  are  able  to  pay  a  higher 
price  for  the  fat  than  the  creameries  are,  but  there  is  a  question  in 
the  minds  of  most  milk  producers  as  to  whether  the  higher  price 
compensates  for  the  loss  of  the  skim  milk  for  feeding  purposes. 
Prices  paid  for  butter  fat  by  one  of  the  largest  creameries  in  Western 
Oregon  are  shown  in  the  following  table: 

BUTTER  PAT  PRICES. 


Month 

1909 

1910 

1911 

1912 

January  .   . 

$0  37 

$0  40 

$0  40 

SO  38 

February... 

34} 

40 

354 

36 

March 

36 

38 

32 

34 

April... 

28 

32} 

27} 

33 

May  

28 

24 

27 

June 

2fi* 

29 

031 

28 

July  

28} 

30} 

28 

29} 

August 

31} 

34} 

27 

32 

September  

'36 

30 

33} 

October  

36 

37 

32 

36} 

November 

36 

37* 

35} 

'37* 

December  

40 

40 

'36 

'39 

Average  

.33 

.35J 

.30} 

.33} 

The  sale  of  surplus  stock  is  an  important  source  of  income  for 
the  Oregon  dairy  farmer  at  the  present  time.  The  farmers  in  the 
Eastern  portion  of  the  State,  being  unable  to  get  sufficient  stock 
in  the  Western  portion  to  supply  the  needs  of  a  rapidly  developing 
dairy  section  are  sending  representatives  into  Wisconsin,  Illinois, 
and  Iowa  to  secure  foundation  stock.  Such  Oregon  dairymen  as 
have  stock  for  sale  arc  receiving  most  satisfactory  prices. 

The  statement  is  sometimes  made  that  the  higher  prices  of  feed 
stuffs  in  Oregon  in  a  large  measure  offset  the  gain  due  to  the  higher 
price  at  which  dairy  products  are  sold,  when  comparison  is  made 
with  Middle  West  conditions.  While  it  is  true  that  some  of  the 
concentrated  feed  stuffs  are  higher,  a  lower  value  should  be  assigned 
to  hay,  roots,  and  other  coarse  fodder,  and  the  mild  climate,  par- 
ticularly in  the  Western  portion  of  the  State,  permits  of  a  longer 
growing  season — in  fact,  the  growing  of  certain  crops,  kale,  for 
instance,  throughout  the  winter.  The  importance  of  dairying  in 
connection  with  fruit  growing  is  just  beginning  to  be  realized.  Par- 
ticularly is  this  true  in  the  case  of  the  small  fruits.  On  most  soils 
suited  to  small  fruit  production,  fertilization  soon  becomes  necessary, 
and  stable  manure  is  well  suited  to  this  use.  One  prominent  small 
fruit  grower  says  that  the  fertilizer  produced  by  his  cows  fully  pays 
for  the  feed  and  care  of  the  animals  so  that  the  value  of  the  dairy 
product  may  be  regarded  as  all  profit. 


Adjectives  are  scarce  in  this  book.    It  was  not  written 
to  entertain  but  to  present  hard  facts. 


OREGON  FARMER 


33 


SOILS  AND  FARM  CROPS  IN  OREGON. 

By  H.  D.  SCUDDER, 
Professor  of  Agronomy. 

CONTENTS. 

Types  of  Farming  in  Oregon Pages  33-35 

Selecting  a  Farm  in  Oregon Pages  35-46 

The  Soils  of  Oregon Pages  46-52 

The  Farm  Crops  of  Oregon Pages  52-63 

TYPES  OF  FARMING  IN  OREGON. 


agricultural  wealth  of  Oregon  is  derived  very  largely  from  its 
fields  of  grain  and  hay  and  from  its  livestock  and  dairy  farms. 
The  greater  share,  perhaps  90  per  cent,  of  the  tillable  acreage 
of  the  state  is  better  adapted  to  the  growing  of  the  common  field  crops 
than  for  any  other  use.  Selected  areas  in  many  parts  of  the  state  have 
great  advantages  in  soil  and  climatic  conditions  for  the  production 
of  the  various  fruit  and  truck  crops.  Oregon  has  become  so  widely 
known,  and  properly  so,  as  a  grower  of  high  grade  fruits  that  it  is 
only  recently  that  the  newcomer  to  the  state  has  learned  of  equally 
advantageous  conditions  for  the  production  of  other  crops. 

A  glance  at  the  agricultural  production  of  Oregon  for  1912  will 
show  that  the  great  majority  of  the  farming  population  of  the  state 
is  employed  in  the  growing  of  the  staples  of  agriculture — field  crops 
and  livestock. 


AGRICULTURAL  PRODUCTS  IN  OREGON  IN  1912. 


Value. 

Percentage 
Total  Value. 

Wheat  

$15,819,205 

12  4% 

Oats  

5  602  738 

44 

Barley 

2  663  624 

2  1 

Hay  

12  367  819 

9  7 

1.    Field  Cropa     Green  forage,  roots,  etc  

6,000,000 

4.7 

Hops  

4,140  000 

3  3 

Potatoes 

3  500  614 

2  8 

Seed  crops  of  clover,  vetch,  alfalfa,  etc. 

1,800,000 

1.4 

Total  field  crops  

$51,894,000 

40  8 

2.    Livestock,  wool,  mohair,  etc  

$36,375,000 

28  6 

3.    Dairy  products  .   . 

16  750  000 

13  2 

4.    Poultry  products  

7,250,000 

5  7 

5.     Fruit  

6  750000 

5  3 

8.    Vegetables  

5,250,000 

4  1 

7.    Miscellaneous  . 

2885000 

2  3 

Total  

$127,154,000 

100.0% 

Because  of  the  diversity  in  climate,  soil,  topography,  transporta- 
tion facilities,  market  conditions,  and  in  the  price  of  land,  in  the 
different  portions  of  the  state,  nearly  every  type  of  farming  common 
to  the  United  states  is  successfully  carried  on  in  Oregon.  Grain, 
hay,  dairying,  all  classes  of  livestock  (both  under  range  and  farm 
conditions),  poultry,  fruits,  truck — all  of  these  types,  singly,  or  in 


34  OREGON  FARMER 

every  possible  combination,  are  found.  The  most  frequent  specialized 
types  of  farming  (where  just  one  crop  is  produced)  are:  Wheat 
farming,  cattle  ranging,  sheep  ranging,  fruit  growing  and  perhaps 
dairying.  The  most  frequent  diversified  types  are:  (1)  Field  crop 
and  livestock  combinations;  (2)  Dairy  farming  combinations;  (3) 
Diversified  field  crop  production. 

Of  the  types  of  farming  named,  those  which  offer  the  surest 
returns  and  the  widest  opportunity  for  success  to  the  average  farmer 
are  well  balanced  combinations  of  the  field  crops  together  with  a 
certain  amount  of  any  of  the  classes  of  livestock  or  forms  of  dairy 
production — diversified  farming,  in  short,  on  a  moderately  and  in- 
creasingly intensive  basis.  Examples  of  combinations  for  diversified 
farming  well  adapted  to  securing  the  highest  and  most  permanent 
profits  in  the  different  natural  divisions  of  the  state  are  suggested 
below. 

Coast  Division. 

(1)  Diversified  Dairy  Farming — On  the  bottoms  and  tidelands  or 
the  red  hill  lands,  for  the  production  of  cheese  and  butter.     This 
is  undoubtedly  the  most  profitable  type  for  this  region,  which  is 
richly  endowed  for  this  kind  of  production. 

(2)  Diversified  Livestock  Farming — Cattle  and  sheep  grazing  on  the 
hills  with  grain  and  hay  in  the  valleys.     The  large  areas  of  steep  hill 
land  offer  the  best  of  grazing  throughout  the  year  because  of  the 
summer  rains  and  absence  of  winter  snow,  while  the  richness  of 
the  many  small  valleys  permits  maximum  grain  and  hay  crops. 

(3)  Truck  or  Small  Fruit  Farming — Certain  classes  of  truck  on 
the  rich  tidelands  and  of  small  fruit  on  selected  hill  lands  are  very 
successfully  produced. 

Willamette  Valley  and  Southern  Oregon  Divisions. 

(1)  Diversified  Field  Crop  Farming — Potatoes,  grain  and  clover 
seed,  for  example.     A  very  profitable  type  where  livestock  is  not 
desired. 

(2)  Diversified  Crop  and  Livestock — (a)  Grain  and  hay,  sheep  or 
cattle;  (b)  Grain  and  forage,  hogs  and  sheep.     Both  of  these  types 
are  unusually  profitable  ones  where  properly  carried  out. 

(3)  Diversified  Dairy  Farming — (a)  Butter,  cream  or  milk  pro- 
duction in  combination  with  hogs  or  chickens  or  both,  with  hay, 
grain,  soiling  crops  and  pasture.     This  is  one  of  the  most  common, 
surest  and  most  widely  successful  types  for  these  divisions,     (b) 
Dairying  and  small  fruits — an  especially  profitable  type  for  small 
farms  on  high  priced  land,     (c)  Dairying  in  combination  with  hogs 
and  the  growing  of  cash  crops'such  as  potatoes  or  clover  seed.    Excel- 
lent where  so  many  cows  are  not  desired. 

(4)  Fruit  Growing— Diversified  and  Specialized— In  no  part  of  the 
state  or  Northwest  are  superior  conditions  found  both  as  to  climate 
and  soil  for  fruit  growing  than  in  the  Willamette  Valley  or  Southern 
Oregon  on  selected  areas. 


OREGON  FARMER  35 

(5)  Truck  Farming — (a)  Diversified;  (b)  Truck  in  combination 
with  fruit  growing.     Limited  areas  and  certain  soil  types  are  espec- 
ially adapted  to  the  growing  of  the  more  profitable  truck  crops 
such  as  onions,  celery,  etc. 

(6)  Poultry  Farming — Diversified  or  specialized  or  in  combination 
with  dairying  and  small  fruits.     Exceptional  market  demand  makes 
any  form  of  poultry  production,  properly  managed,  successful. 

Columbia  Basin,  Blue  Mountain  and  Central  Oregon  Divisions. 

(1)  Diversified  Grain  and  Legume  Seed  Production — On  dry  farming 
lands  where  livestock  is  not  desired. 

(2)  Diversified-Grain,  Forage,  Hogs  and  Horses — A  still  better  type 
for  the  dry  farming  lands. 

(3)  Diversified-Grain,  Legume  Seed,  Forage,  and  Hogs  or  Sheep  and 
Poultry — An  equally  good  type  for  the  dry  farming  lands  and  good 
also  on  the  irrigated  lands. 

(4)  Diver  S'ified-Grain,  Forage  and  Hog  Production — A  profitable 
type  for  both  the  dry  farms  and  the  irrigated  farms. 

(5)  Diversified-Dairy  Farming  with  Hogs  and  Poultry — The  best 
type  for  the  irrigated  lands. 

(6)  Diversified  Fruit  Production — On  the  irrigated  lands  in  selected 
areas  in  the  Columbia  Basin  and  Blue  Mountain  divisions. 

SELECTING  A  FARM  IN  OREGON. 
Selecting  The  Type. 

Of  course,  the  type  of  farming  to  be  selected  must  be  determined 
largely  by  the  personal  experience,  inclination  and  capacity  of  the 
individual  for  any  certain  line  of  production.  From  the  economic 
standpoint,  however,  the  capital  required,  the  length  of  time  before 
returns  are  received,  the  relative  risks  of  failure  involved,  the  chances 
for  increased  valuation  of  the  property,  the  labor  requirements  for 
the  different  types — all  must  be  considered  in  selecting  the  kind 
of  farming  to  be  undertaken.  These  points  settled,  a  careful  survey 
of  the  conditions  in  the  different  districts  of  the  state  as  to  the  soil, 
climate,  topography,  transportation  facilities,  markets,  community 
advantages,  labcr  supply,  prices  of  land,  etc.,  will  disclose  those 
sections  where  the  largest  number  of  these  factors  favor  success 
for  the  particular  type  of  farming  chosen. 

Selecting  the  Region. 

Most  newcomers  as  a  rule  give  too  little  consideration  to  the 
relative  advantages  of  the  different  sections  of  the  state  for  the 
type  of  farming  they  wish  to  undertake.  No  matter  what  type  is 
selected,  no  farmer  need  fail  in  Oregon  if  due  care  is  used  in  selecting 
the  most  suitable  section  for  his  purpose.  No  better  investment 
of  a  portion  of  the  newcomer's  capital  can  be  made  than  in  a  careful 
examination  of  the  chief  farming  districts,  and  then  of  the  district 
itself  for  the  individual  land. 


36  OREGON  _  FARMER 

Change  in  Climate. 

In  studying  the  various  districts  themselves,  and  as  they  are 
shown  in  tables  of  results  herein,  the  climatic  conditions  will  be 
found  to  play  a  very  important  part  in  the  variation  in  production 
observed.  Since  very  misleading  statements  are  often  expressed 
regarding  "changes  in  climate"  supposed  to  take  place,  it  is  well  to 
state  here  that  the  climate  of  any  locality  does  not  change.  A  very 
common  fallacy  in  new  countries  is  the  belief  that  the  climate  will 
alter,  rainfall  increase  and  frosts  decrease  with  the  change  brought 
about  by  putting  land  under  cultivation  or  irrigation,  while  in  old 
settled  countries  it  is  very  commonly  stated  that  the  climate  is 
changing.  Both  of  these  ideas  have  been  repeatedly  proven  untrue 
by  the  most  authoritative  and  indisputable  records  of  accurate 
weather  observations.  Precipitation  and  frosts  in  a  region  are  not 
altered  by  cultivation  or  irrigation.  In  very  small  confined  local 
areas,  night  temperatures  may  be  slightly  altered  but  never  sufficiently 
to  be  of  practical  importance  as  far  as  crops  are  concerned.  Nor 
does  the  climate  grow  steadily  worse  or  steadily  better.  Weather 
varies  greatly  from  year  to  year  but  there  is  an  average  or  normal 
weather  condition  that  may  be  depended  upon  to  prevail  the  majority 
of  years. 

Climatic  Considerations. 

The  important  climatic  considerations  as  affecting  the  production 
of  a  region  are,  normal  total  precipitation  and  its  distribution 
through  the  year,  (especially  during  the  seeding  and  growing  and 
harvest  seasons),  and  frosts,  (as  regulating  the  length  of  season). 
The  effect  of  the  Japan  current  on  the  westerly  winds  and  the  great 
variation  in  the  topography  of  the  state  are  the  chief  factors 
causing  Oregon's  unusual  climatic  features  and  the  wide  climatic 
variations  between  the  different  regions.  (Data  for  different 
districts  of  the  state  are  given  elsewhere) .  See  page  65.  Oregon 
is  largely  free  from  the  torrential  rains  which  cause  floods  and  injurious 
soil  erosion — free  from  injury  by  hard  and  violent  winds — noted 
for  her  cool  nights  in  summer,  and,  in  Western  Oregon  especially, 
for  the  great  mildness  of  all  winter  and  summer  temperatures  and 
the  exceptionally  long  growing  seasons.  The  rainfall  varies  widely 
—it  is  heavy  on  the  coast,  ample  in  the  Western  Oregon  interior, 
less  in  Southern  Oregon,  and  scanty  in  the  Columbia  basin  and 
Central  Oregon,  increasing  again  in  the  Blue  Mountain  region. 
The  distribution  of  rainfall  for  spring  seeding  is  good  throughout 
the  state,  and  for  fall  seeding  excellent,  except  in  portions  of  the 
Columbia  Basin  where  it  generally  comes  a  little  late.  For  the 
harvest  of  hay  and  grain  the  conditions  are  ideal,  but  for  summer 
crops  the  precipitation  is  a  little  too  light  in  the  summer  months 
unless  thorough  cultivation  is  given. 

The  temperature  is  mildest  and  the  growing  season  longest  on 
the  coast,  mild  and  long  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  shorter  in  Southern 
Oregon  as  the  elevation  increases,  still  shorter  in  the  Columbia 
Basin  and  Blue  Mountain  region,  and  shortest  in  Central  Oregon 


OREGON  FARMER 


37 


at  the  higher  elevations,  so  that  in  that  district  only  the  hardier 
crop  varieties  may  be  grown. 

Getting  Started  Right. 

Upon  a  wise  selection  of  the  farm  itself  more  than  on  anything 
else,  depends  the  fanner's  opportunity  for  success.  There  are,  in 
each  district  in  the  state,  farmers  who  are  always  prosperous, 
who  get  paying  crops  in  "off"  years  and  good  crops  in  ordinary 
years,  who  live  in  comfortable  homes,  and  send  their  sons  and 
daughters  to  college.  These  are  the  farmers  who  have  selected  a 
type  of  farming  fitted  to  their  individual  capacities  and  chosen  a 
region  suitable  to  that  type  and  then  have  located  the  right  farm 
on  which  to  carry  out  their  plan.  Other  farmers  in  the  same  com- 
munity will  spend  a  lifetime  working  against  unfavorable  odds  because 
of  the  poor  selection  of  the  type  of  farming,  of  land,  or  of  methods. 

Size  of  Farm. 

A  common  mistake  in  purchasing  a  farm  is  selecting  too  large 
a  size  for  the  type  of  work  to  be  done,  investing  too  much  of  the 
capital  in  land  and  reserving  an  insufficient  amount  for  equipment 
and  operation.  The  successful  modern  farmers  in  Oregon  are  almost 
universally  those  who  select  the  smaller  farms,  work  them  more 
intensively,  and  diversify  their  production.  The  newcomers  to 
Oregon  who  fail  are  more  often  those  who  speculate  in  farm  lands. 
The  man  who  comes  to  Oregon  as  a  speculator  in  land  is  in  nearly 
all  cases  less  successful  than  the  man  who  comes  to  farm  the  land. 
Individual  farm  values  here  increase  largely  as  production  on  the 
individual  farm  increases.  Poorly  farmed  land  increases  in  value 
slowly  or  not  at  all.  The  good  farmer  gets  the  double  profits  of 
successful  production  and  increased  land  value.  This  means  that 
the  best  opportunity  in  both  directions  lies  with  the  farmer  who 
selects  the  number  of  acres  best  adapted  to  his  type  of  farming. 

On  the  more  successful  Oregon  farms  of  the  different  types  the 
gross  profits  per  acre  and  the  best  sizes  of  farms  from  which  to  get 
such  profits  are  about  as  follows: 

BEST  SIZE  OF  FARM  (CROPPING  AREA)  FOR  DIFFERENT  TYPES. 
On  Basis  of  Annual  Gross  Income  of  $4000. 


Type. 

Gross  Income 
per  Acre. 

Size  of 
Cropping 
Area. 

No.  of 
Work 
Horses. 

Ave. 

High. 

Western  Oregon  Diversified  Dairy  Farm  

$  50.00 
40.00 
150.00 
7.00 

12.00 

40.00 
200.00 

$100.00 
70.00 
300.00 
15.00 

20.00 

70.00 
400.00 

80  acres. 
100  acres. 
25  acres. 
640  acres. 

320  acres. 

100  acres. 
20  acres. 

4 

5 
2 
12 

8 

5 
2 

Western  Oregon  Diversified  Crop  and  Stock  Farm  
Western  Oregon  Diversified  Truck  Farm  
Eastern  Oregon  (Dry  Land),  Wheat  Farm 

Eastern  Oregon  Diversified  (Dry  Land),  Crop  and  Stock 
Farm  

Eastern  Oregon  Irrigated  Diversified  Crop  and  Stock 
Farm  

Oregon  Fruit  Farm  

The  most  successful  farms  are  those  of  sufficient  size  and  diversity 
of  production  to  keep  the  farmer  and  his  horses  busy  throughout 
the  year,  securing  the  best  efficiency  in  the  use  of  capital,  labor, 
horses  and  machinery.  Twenty  to  thirty  acres  per  horse  is  the 


38  OREGON^FARMER 

range  for  the  most  profitable  production  with  modern  machinery 
except  on  the  dry  farming  lands,  where  larger  acreage  per  horse 
is  possible. 

The  purchase  of  larger  sized  farms  than  those  given  above  would 
in  most  cases  be  justified  only  on  the  basis  of  the  speculative  value 
of  the  land  or,  too  extensive  a  form  of  farming  to  get  the  best  per- 
manent results  or  the  highest  profits  per  acre. 

Examining  the  Prospective  Purchase. 

The  proportion  of  land  on  the  farm  adapted  to  the  kind  of  farming 
to  be  done,  the  shape  and  size  of  the  fields  as  adapted  to  economy 
in  cultivation  and  for  fitting  into  a  rotation,  the  convenience  of 
location  of  the  farmstead  to  the  fields — all  these  must  be  considered. 
The  fewer  division  fences,  the  less  chopped  up  and  irregular  the 
fields  are,  and  the  closer  the  farmstead  is  to  the  center  of  the  farm, 
the  better.  The  topography  is  very  important  both  as  to  the  absolute 
elevation  above  sea  level  and  the  relative  elevation  above  surrounding 
lands.  After  elevation  increases  above  2500  feet  the  growing  seasons 
become  markedly  shorter  and  frosts  more  frequent.  The  relative 
elevation  above  surrounding  lands  as  affecting  the  air  drainage  bears 
upon  the  protection  from  local  frosts  and  in  Western  Oregon  es- 
pecially, bears  upon  the  natural  drainage  of  excess  moisture.  Only  a 
little  slope  is  needed  as  a  rule  to  give  good  natural  water  drainage.  The 
exposure  of  the  slope  as  far  as  temperature  is  concerned  is  less  import- 
ant in  Oregon  than  in  more  extreme  climates  but  the  soil  on  the  hill 
lands  in  this  state  varies  considerably  with  exposure,  being  quite 
commonly  less  good  in  quality  on  the  south  slopes,  especially  where 
the  slopes  are  more  steep.  In  some  regions  in  Eastern  Oregon  and 
along  the  coast  the  exposure  of  the  slope  also  bears  upon  the  protec- 
tion from  strong  winds. 

The  natural  drainage  of  the  land  for  excess  moisture  should  be 
given  careful  attention  especially  in  Western  Oregon  where  the 
rainfall  is  very  heavy  and  in  Eastern  Oregon  where  the  land  is  irrigated 
and  through  seepage,  may  become  "alkalied".  Where  artificial 
drainage  is  required  the  cost  per  acre  should  be  considered  in  judging 
the  value  of  the  land. 

The  condition  of  the  land  as  to  cover  of  brush >  stumps,  stones, 
weeds,  etc.,  should  be  given  special  attention.  Too  frequently 
Eastern  farmers  unaccustomed  to  timber  or  other  cover  greatly 
under-estimate  the  cost  of  clearing.  It  is  often  better  to  buy  land 
already  cleared.  When  land  is  not  cleared  the  price  should  be  cor- 
respondingly much  lower.  Clearing  sagebrush  land  in  Eastern 
and  Central  Oregon  costs  about  $5  per  acre,  juniper  land  $15  per 
acre,  and  in  Western  Oregon  oak  grub  land  or  cut-over  timber  land 
from  $50  to  $100  per  acre. 

Of  all  the  points  considered  in  selecting  a  farm,  the  most  important 
is  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  and  by  this  is  meant  the  natural  fertility. 
Building  up  the  farm  with  commercial  fertilizers  and  otherwise 
increasing  the  fertility  through  artificial  means  is  costly  and  slow 
and  greatly  reduces  the  profits  in  farming.  Nor  does  the  artificial 


OREGON  FARMER  39 

fertility  induced  ever  fully  take  the  place  of  natural  fertility.  Oregon 
farming  lands  for  the  most  part  have  great  natural  fertility.  This 
is  of  special  importance  to  the  general  farmer  who  must  depend 
mainly  upon  natural  fertility  rather  than  upon  costly  commercial 
fertilizers.  While  some  Oregon  farms  because  of  poor  drainage 
or  long  abuse  have  soils  that  are  out  of  condition,  they  are  not  out  of 
fertility,  even  though  the  present  crop  yields  are  low.  The  soils 
are  neglected,  not  poor,  and  with  good  tillage  methods  and  rotations 
or  a  little  under  drainage  or  liming,  quickly  respond.  There  are 
very  few  soil  types  or  areas  in  the  state  that  could  be  called  poor 
or  worthless. 

So  then,  before  the  farm  is  purchased  the  soil  should  be  examined 
most  carefully  for  fertility.  Soil  survey  maps  of  the  state  or  govern- 
ment should  be  used  where  obtainable  as  they  give  a  great  deal  of 
valuable  information,  but  unfortunately  Oregon  has  no  state  soil 
survey  as  yet  and  government  maps  are  for  very  limited  areas  only. 
Such  as  there  are,  can  be  secured  by  writing  the  Bureau  of  Soils, 
Washington,  D.  C. 

The  crops  growing  upon  the  land,  if  there  be  such  and  if  all  the 
conditions  as  to  season,  treatment,  etc.,  are  normal,  should  of  course 
give  considerable  information  as  to  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  but  hi 
many  cases  the  crop  is  not  a  sure  guide;  nor  on  the  other  hand  can 
any  man,  no  matter  how  wise  he  be,  determine  the  fertility  from 
the  character  of  the  natural  vegetation,  especially  by  the  presence 
or  absence  of  any  one  plant.  Oaks  four  feet  through  will  sometimes 
be  found  on  soil  only  a  foot  and  a  half  deep.  However,  the  natural 
vegetation  does  give  some  indication  of  quality.  Soils  on  which  the 
pines  grow  and  other  trees  do  not,  are  as  a  rule  inferior  in  quality, 
while  soils  where  the  basswood,  walnut,  ash  and  maple  grow  well, 
are  generally  of  the  best  quality.  On  the  Western  Oregon  hill 
lands  a  dense  growth  of  vigorous  scrub  oak  is  generally  a  good 
indication,  while  a  light  scattering  growth  usually  means  lack  of 
depth  or  quality.  The  growth  of  fir  seems  to  be  regulated  more  by 
the  moisture  conditions  than  by  other  soil  qualities.  On  the  hills 
the  growth  of  the  "fern"  or  brake  is  often  deceiving.  A  very  heavy 
growth  will  generally  indicate  merely  a  greater  abundance  of  moisture 
from  seepage,  and  a  light  growth  does  not  by  any  means  indicate 
a  lack  of  fertility.  In  Eastern  Oregon  a  dense  growth  of  heavy 
black  sage  indicates  the  better,  more  fertile  soils,  while  the  absence 
of  this  brush  and  the  presence  of  greasewood,  saltbush  and  saltgrass 
indicate  poor  natural  drainage  and  the  presence  of  excessive  alkali. 
Sedges  or  slough  grass  mixed  with  other  grasses  in  a  field  indicate 
poor  under  drainage.  The  poor  growth  of  the  clovers  and  the 
presence  of  an  abundance  of  sorrel  and  moss  indicate,  in  Western 
Oregon,  acid  soils  in  need  of  lime,  while  along  the  coast  the  growth 
of  huckleberries,  blueberries  and  salal  brush  to  the  exclusion  of 
others  indicates  lack  of  lime. 

The  color  of  the  soil  is  generally  a  fair  indicator  of  fertility,  the 
darker  red  or  darker  gray  or  brown  shades  indicating  the  richer 
soils.  A  black  color,  however,  does  not  always  indicate  great 


40  OREGON  FARMER 

fertility.  The  soil  should  be  seen  dry  as  well  as  wet  as  nearly  always 
it  becomes  darker  and  richer  looking  when  wet.  The  darker  a  soil 
becomes  on  wetting  the  richer  it  is  as  a  rule. 

Chemical  and  physical  analyses  of  soils  are  of  service  in  aiding 
the  scientist  in  judging  fertility.  They  are  of  little  value  to  the 
farmer  who  cannot  interpret  them.  Unfortunately,  chemical 
analysis  cannot  show  the  availability  of  the  plant  food  contained 
in  the  soil.  It  is  chiefly  valuable  in  showing  a  marked  deficiency  in 
the  total  supply  of  any  important  element  in  soils  where  some  defici- 
ency is  apparent.  A  physical  analysis  is  more  readily  interpreted 
and  in  most  cases  is  of  greater  value,  as  it  determines  the  proportion 
of  the  mechanical  components  in  a  soil  and  thus  bears  immediately 
on  the  aeration  and  drainage  and  upon  the  chemical  and  bacterial 
activities  which  have  so  much  to  do  with  the  rate  at  which  plant 
food  becomes  available.  Physical  analysis  shows  also  the  ease 
of  handling  and  the  crop  adaption  possibilities  of  a  soil.  The 
interpretation  of  a  soil  expert  familiar  with  the  soil  and  other  con- 
ditions in  the  different  localities  of  the  state,  is  necessary,  to  make 
any  analysis  of  the  greatest  value.  The  best  thing  for  the  newcomer 
who  is  in  doubt  about  the  fertility,  value  and  use  of  a  soil  in  which 
he  is  interested,  is  to  take  with  considerable  care,  pint  samples 
representing  the  average  surface  soil  to  a  depth  of  10  inches  and  the 
average  subsoil  to  a  depth  of  30  inches,  and  send  these  with  a  complete 
description  of  the  land,  its  exact  location,  topography,  previous 
cropping,  sub-strata,  etc.,  to  the  Soil  Department  of  the  State 
Experiment  Station  for  examination  and  advice. 

In  no  case  should  the  farmer  fail  to  make  borings  with  a  post 
hole  augur  or  spade  to  determine  the  character  of  the  subsoil,  depth 
to  rock,  gravel,  "soapstone",  or  other  underlying  strata— presence 
and  character  of  hardpans,  distance  to  standing  water  in  poorly 
drained  land,  etc.  There  is  no  man  so  expert  in  judging  fertility 
who  can  estimate  it  by  looking  at  the  surface  soil  alone.  Subsoil  condi- 
tions are  seldom  indicated  by  surface  appearances.  For  many  forms 
of  production  the  depth  and  character  of  the  subsoil  is  more  import- 
ant than  anything  else.  In  Western  Oregon  the  depth  of  soil  and 
natural  drainage  are  the  most  important  points  to  be  observed,  and 
in  Eastern  and  Central  Oregon — degree  of  sandiness,  hardpan,  and 
drainage,  as  indicated  by  alkali  excess.  Presence  of  alkali  is  readily 
shown  during  the  summer  months  by  brownish  stains  or  whitish 
salts —  by  "slick"  spots  where  the  soil  is  badly  run  together  and 
cracked,  or  by  salt-grass  or  greasewood  and  the  absence  of  black  sage. 

The  physical  character  of  the  soil — its  lightness  or  heaviness — 
affects  farming  operations  more  than  any  other  single  feature— in 
ease  of  soil  handling,  earliness  of  seeding  and  quickness  in  maturing; 
as  well  as  in  retentiveness  of  plant  food  and  moisture  or  the  opposite, 
inclination  toward  acidity,  the  kinds  of  crops  best  adapted,  etc. 
Hence,  the  physical  qualities  should  be  given  close  attention  in 
selecting  the  land. 

The  climatic  conditions  on  the  individual  farm  must  also  be  con- 
sidered. A  slight  elevation  on  the  long,  gently  sloping  flanks  of 


OREGON  FARMER  41 

the  hills  in  Central  Oregon  where  the  soil  is  of  good  depth,  often 
gives  sufficient  air  drainage  to  protect  field  crops  from  killing  frosts, 
while  the  level  lands  one-half  mile  away,  will  suffer.  In  this  same 
section  a  slight  relative  elevation  often  gives  additional  precipitation 
or  extra  moisture  from  seepage,  etc.,  while  in  other  parts  of  the  state 
the  elevation  makes  an  especially  great  difference  in  the  frost  protec- 
tion of  fruits.  Individual  farms  may  differ  considerably  as  to  wind 
exposure,  affecting  fruit  trees,  01  evaporation  or  soil  blowing,  etc. 

Healthfulness  in  the  selection  of  an  Oregon  farm  is  not  a  factor. 
There  is  probably  not  an  unhealthful  location  in  the  state. 

Marketing  conditions  must  be  carefully  considered.  Is  there  a 
good  local  market  for  products  raised  or  for  buying  supplies?  What 
is  the  distance  to  haul?  Hauling  costs  vary  immensely  with  different 
products.  Some  products,  such  as  alfalfa  seed,  can  be  hauled  one 
hundred  miles  where  for  others  such  as  hay  all  the  profits  would 
be  consumed  in  only  a  few  miles.  Distance  alone  does  not  regulate 
the  cost  of  hauling.  The  character  of  the  roads  as  to  surface,  grade 
and  drainage  is  even  more  important.  Road  conditions  in  Oregon, 
however,  are  rapidly  improving.  Transportation  and  shipping 
facilities  to  the  more  distant  markets — freight  rates,  frequency  of 
train  service,  number  of  transfers,  warehouse  accommodations, 
terminal  facilities,  etc.,  should  be  observed.  The  opening  of  the 
Panama  Canal  will  undoubtedly  do  a  great  deal  for  the  Oregon 
farms  in  bringing  them  nearer  to  the  eastern  or  foreign  markets. 
The  great  development  of  electric  railroads  in  Western  Oregon  in 
the  last  few  years  and  the  extension  of  the  steam  railroads  to  Central 
Oregon  have  effected  great  improvements  for  both  the  long  and  short 
hauls  of  the  farmer's  goods. 

The  labor  supply  of  the  locality  should  not  be  overlooked.  In  most 
districts  it  is  reasonably  good  and  promises  to  be  much  improved  with  the 
influx  of  immigrants  with  the  opening  of  the  Canal.  Farm  wages  are 
not  unduly  high  even  at  the  present  time.  (See  Table  2,  page  44.) 

Community  conditions  play  an  important  part  in  the  selection  of 
a  farm.  Co-operative  organizations  for  the  growing,  advertising, 
preparation  for  market,  storing,  selling  and  shipping  of  products, 
as  well  as  for  the  buying  of  supplies  are  essential  for  nearly  every 
form  of  production,  whether  it  be  apples,  cows,  onions,  grain  or 
other  goods.  The  Oregon  farmer  has  made  a  good  beginning  in  the 
matter  of  co-operation,  is  fully  aroused,  and  well  in  advance  of 
most  of  the  other  states  in  the  Union  in  this  modern  development. 
The  social  and  business  conveniences  of  the  community  and  the 
living  cost  are  also  factors  in  the  selection  of  the  farm. 

Water  for  livestock  and  domestic  use  is  often  one  of  the  most 
costly  necessities  on  the  farm.  The  average  depth  of  wells  in  the 
different  districts  of  Oregon  is  shown  in  Table  2,  page  44.  It  varies 
locally  in  the  Columbia  Basin  and  Central  Oregon  more  than  else- 
where, all  the  way  from  20  to  500  feet.  Throughout  Western  Oregon, 
water  of  fine  quality  is  easily  obtained  from  springs,  streams  or  wells. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  location  for  marketing  are  the  two 
most  vital  factors  so  far  discussed;  the  third,  is  the  amount  and 


42  OREGON  FARMER 

character  of  improvements.  As  a  rule  both  extremes,  either  the  farm 
that  is  altogether  unimproved  or  the  opposite  case,  one  that  is  over 
improved,  are  over-valued  or  over-priced.  A  good  house  is  the  most 
important  building  improvement  to  seek.  It  can  generally  be 
purchased  more  cheaply  than  built.  Costly  farm  houses,  however, 
may  be  out  of  proportion  to  the  capital  invested  in  the  rest  of  the 
farm,  for  they  produce  no  income.  Comfort  and  modern  conveni- 
ences, in  any  case,  are  an  essential  part  of  modern  rural  life  that 
any  farmer  can  have  if  his  business  success  justifies  it.  Other  farm 
buildings  are  desirable  only  if  suitable.  Otherwise,  they  are  of 
little  value.  Oregon  farms  are  as  yet  rarely  over-loaded  with 
building  improvements.  Good  buildings  on  good  land  are  generally 
bought  at  their  real  value.  Good  buildings  on  poor  land  are  valued 
too  high. 

The  kind,  condition  and  arrangement  of  fences  is  important. 
Good  woven  wire  boundary  fences  are  a  valuable  part  of  the  purchase. 
Rail  or  other  inferior  fences  are  often  purchased  at  a  loss,  as  are  also 
division  fences.  Such  fences  waste  land,  increase  labor  and  harbor 
pests  and  in  modern  systems  must  be  removed. 

In  Western  Oregon  most  farms  have  the  advantage  of  a  wood  lot 
thrown  in  at  no  cost.  Wood  is  especially  valuable  where  located 
on  waste  land  so  that  it  does  not  mean  eventual  cost  of  clearing. 

Good  family  orchards  are  very  common  and  effect  an  important 
saving  in  the  living  cost. 

The  acreage  and  quality  of  the  area  of  the  farm  actually  under 
cultivation  or  cleared  should  be  used  in  determining  the  real  price 
per  acre.  Waste  land  should  be  cut  out  entirely  in  figuring  the  price. 
It  generally  will  do  no  more  than  pay  its  own  taxes.  All  undrained 
land  or  poorly  drained  or  alkali  spots  should  also  be  eliminated  or 
cost  of  reclamation  included  in  figuring  the  real  value  per  acre 
compared  with  the  price  asked.  Little  money  should  be  paid  for 
waste  land  and  uncleared  or  unreclaimed  areas  should  be  figured 
correspondingly  low.  In  irrigated  lands  the  amount,  cost,  upkeep, 
and  right  to  water,  and  danger  of  alkali,  should  be  considered. 

Land  in  Western  Oregon  to  which  one  is  a  stranger  should  be 
examined  in  March  when  bare  and  the  physical  conditions  and  the 
drainage  are  easily  discerned.  Land  in  Eastern  or  Central  Oregon 
should  be  examined  in  July — at  the  dryest  season  and  during  harvest. 
Known  land  should  be  examined  at  harvest  time  and  the  character 
of  the  season  and  the  weather  should  be  taken  into  consideration. 
Never  should  land  be  purchased  after  only  one  trip  of  inspection. 
A  second  inspection  alone,  from  a  different  direction,  always  pays. 
The  conditions  on  surrounding  lands,  crop  yields  obtained  and 
opinions  of  neighbors  will  often  disclose  additional  facts. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  land  values  are  variable  within 
relatively  short  distances.  Advertising  often  creates  high  prices 
in  certain  sections.  Often  land  equally  as  good  a  short  distance 
away  may  be  found  at  much  lower  prices. 

Buy  on  real  value  as  guaged  by  production,  not  on  trading  or  speculative 
value.  Study  a  region  or  even  live  in  it  a  while  before  buying.  The 


OREGON  FARMER 


43 


writer  has  often  advised  newcomers  to  hire  out  or  rent  a  farm  in  a 
region  a  year  before  buying. 

Land  values  in  different  divisions  are  shown  according  to  the 
U.  S.  census  and  for  representative  farms  as  determined  by  the 
Agricultural  Survey  (see  Table  1,  below).  The  price  varies  largely 
as  the  location  is  close  in  or  further  out. 

Improved  dairy  land  or  diversified  crop  or  stock  farming  land 
or  fruit  land  implanted  (as  good  as  there  is,  as  far  as  productivity 
is  concerned)  may  be  purchased  in  Western  Oregon  at  from  $50  to 
$150  per  acre,  depending  on  the  location  and  improvements.  Truck 
land  may  be  purchased  for  from  $100  to  $200,  and  irrigated  land  in 
Eastern  Oregon  for  from  $50  to  $150. 

The  best  homestead  lands  are  already  taken.  Most  of  the  remain- 
ing homestead  lands  are  in  Central  Oregon.  There  is  practically 
no  homesteading  land  in  Western  Oregon.  Most  homesteads  are 
worth  what  the  owner  makes  of  them.  In  many  cases,  though  not 
all,  the  homesteader  who  has  a  small  amount  of  money  and  good 
farming  ability  would  do  better  to  invest  it  in  deeded  land  or  in 
renting  land  until  his  capital  is  increased.  From  tenant  to  owner 
is  a  change  that  takes  place  rapidly  in  Oregon.  Rental  terms  are 
reasonable  and  crop  conditions  steady,  so  that  renting  is  an  attractive 
opportunity  for  the  farmer  of  small  capital  as  it  permits  the  handling 
of  far  larger  acreage  and  operations  than  would  the  same  capital 
invested  in  his  own  land.  See  Table  2,  page  44. 


Table  1. 


PRESENT  OCCUPATION  OF  LANDS  IN  OREGON. 

(U.  S.  Census). 


Division. 

1 

•§•< 
H 

Cultivated 
Land. 

Tillable  Land 
Uncultivated. 

Tillable  Public 
Land  Open  to| 
Entry 

Total  Irrigable 
Acreage. 

*1 

l! 

Total  No.  of 
Farms. 

8 

3g 
§£ 

n 

«j 

Average  Value  1 
LandperAcrej 

Average  In- 
crease in  Value 
1900-1911. 

Coast... 

3,891,200 
8,875,520 
6,085,760 
6,477,440 
9,290,240 
26,568,320 

46,004 
6,059,064 
216,387 
1,592,503 
386,289 
791,857 

1,291,629 
2,517,941 
2,202,112 
1,879,679 
1,976,770 
9,483,108 

2,842 
41,502 
102,234 
234,321 
5,827,646 

77,981 
81,164 
261,743 
449,588 

300 
500 
42,813 
26,742 
247,196 
356,714 

3,401 
22,748 
4,693 
5,592 
4,831 
4,237 

196 
130 
196 
*676 
503 
607 

$34 
76 
53 
*  22 
22 
20 

177% 
183% 
320% 
*231% 
215% 
238% 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 
Columbia  Basin.  . 
Blue  Mountain..  . 
Central  Oregon... 

State  Total  

61,188,480 

4,092,104 

19,452,129 

6,158,555 

830,527 

686,129 

45,502 

256 

$  35 

206% 

*Hood  River  County  not  included  in  this  figure.    Average  value  of  land  in  this  county  is  $340  per 
acre  and  size  of  farm  very  small  and  out  of  proportion  to  the  rest  of  the  division. 

Present  Occupation  of  Lands  in  Oregon.  (Table  1,  above). 
This  table  shows  at  a  glance  the  acreage  in  the  state  that  is  tillable 
— 23,500,000  acres — and  the  large  proportion  of  this  still  unplowed — 
about  80% — also  the  considerable  area  of  tillable  public  land  still 
open  for  entry.  The  large  amount  of  land  that  is  irrigable  and  the 
proportion  of  this  now  under  water  speaks  well  for  the  development 
of  this  phase  of  farming.  It  should  be  understood  that  while  small 
areas  in  the  Willamette  Valley  and  Coast  regions  are  irrigated,  that 
irrigation  in  these  districts  is  not  at  all  necessary  for  maximum  pro- 
duction but  that  in  very  intensive  forms  of  farming  such  as  truck  garden- 
ing, irrigation  may  be  used  with  profit  even  in  these  humid  regions. 


44 


OREGON  FARMER 


Is  there  Room  for  Tou  in  Oregon  ? 

The  extremely  small  number  of  farms  and  the  large  size  of  the 
same  shows  very  distinctly  the  accommodations  the  state  has  to 
offer  for  a  great  increase  in  its  farming  population.  Tillable  land 
nearly  24,000,000  acres  and  number  of  farms  only  45,000  are  two 
figures  that  explain  a  great  deal  as  to  the  opportunity  for  further 
agricultural  development  and  the  reason  for  80%  of  the  tillable  land 
being  uncultivated. 

Comparing  the  number  of  farms  in  the  Willamette  valley  with  the 
number  in  other  regions  of  equal  or  greater  tillable  areas,  Central 
Oregon  for  instance,  shows  at  once  where  the  land  has  been  most 
fully  settled  and  where  the  greatest  development  is  yet  to  take  place. 
It  should  be  remembered,  too,  that  the  sizes  of  farms  as  shown  are 
in  most  cases  in  all  regions,  twice  as  large  as  is  desirable  for  the 
most  profitable  forms  and  methods  of  production.  This  and  the 
large  proportion  of  tillable  land  still  uncultivated  accounts  for  the 
extremely  low  prices  of  land  in  all  regions  of  the  state,  notwith- 
standing the  increase  in  value  shown  for  the  past  decade. 

With  the  facts  shown  in  this  table  and  elsewhere  and  a  full  know- 
ledge of  the  possibilities  for  agricultural  production  in  all  parts  of 
the  state — it  is  not  too  much  for  anyone  to  say  that  there  is  ample 
opportunity  in  Oregon  for  five  or  even  ten  times  its  present  farming 
population  and  with  even  greater  prosperity  for  all  than  her  present 
peoples  enjoy.  With  the  continuing  westward  trend  of  the  farming 
population  of  the  United  States,  with  the  added  influx  through  the 
Canal,  and  with  Oregon  on  the  very  shores  of  the  Pacific — it  is  not 
too  much  to  believe  that  the  state  will  double  the  number  of  its 
farmers  within  the  next  five  years. 

MISCELLANEOUS  DATA. 

From  Agricultural  Survey  of  Representative  Oregon  Farms. 
(Note:    The  columns  headed  "No.  Rep."  indicate  the  number  of  farms 
Table  2.  reporting  on  each  subject  tabulated.) 


Division. 

Average  Rental  For  General 
Farms. 

Average  Clear- 
ing Cost. 

Average  Depth 
of  Wells. 

Average  No. 
Work    Horses 
per  Farm. 

No. 
Rep. 

Cash 
per     A. 

No. 
Rep. 

Share. 

No. 
Rep. 

Per 
Acre. 

No. 
Rep. 

Depth 
in  ft. 

Coast 

14 
129 

$8.00 
5.50 

1 
69 
3 
90 
6 
65 

H"^ 

I/  I/ 

5at~/z 

98 
170 
40 
16 
31 
148 

$80.00 
55.00 
53.00 
35.00 
13.00 
6.00 

66 
323 
23 
142 
77 
184 

22 
36 
21 
69 
23 
45 

4 
4 
3 
12 

7 
8 

Willamette  Valley... 
Southern  Oregon 

Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountains  
Central  Oregon  

State  Average  

9 
20 
27 

6.50 
6.00 
4.00 

$6.00 

^ 

$46.00 

33 

6 

Division. 

Average  Acres 
Irrigated. 

Average     per 
cent  Using 
Irrigation. 

Average  per 
cent  Using 
Rotation. 

Average  Amt. 
Manure  used. 

Average  Crop 
Sales 
Per  Acre. 

No. 
Rep. 

Acres. 

Per  Cent. 

SPer  Cent. 

No. 
Rep. 

Loads  p«r 
Farm. 

No. 
^Rep. 

Amt. 

Coast                     .   .  . 

40 
65 
28 
8 
18 
15 

145 
412 
197 
17 
19 
158 

76 
103 
55 
41 
118 
85 

47 
404 
139 
158* 
109 
?153? 

8.33 
13.46 
13.57 
8.86 
9.88 
13.17 

11.17 

Willamette  Valley  

5 

53 
48 
81 
66 

Southern  Oregon  
Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountains  
Central  Oregon  

State  Average  

128 
120 
158 
135 

32 
65 
142 
312 

110 

49 

29 

90 

OREGON  FARMER 


45 


Table  2— Continued. 


Division. 

AVERAGE  WAGES. 

With  Board. 

Without  Board. 

No. 
Rep. 

Day. 

No. 
Rep. 

Month. 

No. 
Rep. 

Day. 

No. 
Rep. 

Month. 

Coast  

127 
428 
148 
204 
113 
183 

$1.75 
1.50 
1.50 
1.75 
1.75 
2.00 

Ill 
133 
23 
211 
173 
130 

$27.00 
29.00 
26.00 
36.00 
36.00 
36.00 

52 
180 
52 
82 
47 
16 

$2.25 
2.00 
2.00 
2.00 
2.25 
2.50 

21 
32 
7 
14 
5 
9 

$55.00 
45.00 
50.00 
48.00 
52.00 
52.00 

Willamette  Valley  
Southern  Oregon  
Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountains  
Central  Oregon  

State  Average  

$1.75 

$35.00 

$2.25 

$49.00 

Miscellaneous  Data  on  Farming  Conditions  in  Oregon.   (Table 
2,  herewith). 

The  higher  cost  of  clearing  in  Western  Oregon  is  due  to  the  heavier 
growth  of  trees — chiefly  fir  or  oak.  The  average  cost  shown  for 
the  Columbia  Basin  is  for  the  clearing  of  lands  having  tree  growth. 
Sage  brush  covered  lands  in  this  division  cost  no  more  to  clear  than 
elsewhere,  about  $5  per  acre.  In  the  Blue  Mountain  division  the 
clearing  consists  of  sage  brush  and  scattered  trees  and  sometimes 
floating  rock — although  the  latter  is  more  common  in  the  Central 
Oregon  division.  The  low  cost  for  Central  Oregon  is  because  only 
sage  brush  lands  have  been  cleared  there  as  yet  to  any  extent. 
Scattered  juniper  tree  growth  and  sage  brush  together  in  that 
division  cost  about  $15  per  acre  to  clear. 

The  smaller  number  off  irrigated  acres  per  farm  in  Southern 
Oregon  and  the  Columbia  Basin  is  due  to  the  higher  price  of  irrigated 
lands  and  more  restricted  irrigable  areas  of  those  regions,  while 
the  large  number  of  irrigated  acres  per  farm  in  Central  Oregon  is  due 
to  the  crude  method  of  irrigation  from  winter  overflow  from  streams 
and  to  the  more  extensive  type  of  farming  done.  The  per  cent 
using  irrigation,  shown,  is,  like  all  other  figures  shown  in  the  tables 
from  the  Agricultural  Survey — only  the  per  cent  of  representative 
farms  visited  and  reported  upon  by  the  Survey — not  the  per  cent  of 
the  total  number  of  farms  of  the  region.  Hence,  in  the  Willamette 
Valley,  where  almost  no  irrigation  is  done  and  none  is  necessary,  and 
in  the  Columbia  Basin,  where  most  of  the  lands  are  dry  farmed — 
the  figures  might  be  misleading. 

The  percentage  of  representative  farms  using  rotations  and  the 
amount  of  manure  used  per  farm  show  the  greater  development  in  the 
use  of  better  farming  methods  and  of  dairy  cows  in  the  Willamette 
Valley  than  elsewhere  but  still  leaves  much  to  be  desired,  for  what 
the  average  Oregon  farmer  calls  a  rotation  is  not  a  definite  cropping 
system  for  increasing  fertility  and  farm  economy  and  profits  per  acre, 
but  merely  an  occasional  variation  in  the  crop  grown.  It  is  this, 
together  with  the  fact  that  much  of  the  crop  is  fed  and  sold  as  live- 
stock, that  makes  the  average  crop  sales  per  acre  rather  low,  the 
chief  crops  sold  direct,  being  grain.  Because  of  the  large  amount  of 
dairying  this  is  especially  true  for  the  Coast  region,  while  the  bare 


46 


OREGON  FARMER 


summer  fallow  each  alternate  year,  followed  on  the  Eastern  Oregon 
dry  farming  lands,  accounts  for  the  smaller  annual  sales  per  acre  in 
the  Columbia  Basin  and  Blue  Mountain  region. 


SOILS  OF  OREGON. 

Chief  Soil  Types  in  Oregon. 


Silt  Loams. . 


Western  Oregon 


Eastern  Oregon 


Sandy  Loams.. 


Western  Oregon 


Eastern  Oregon..., 


Dark  Gray  Silt  Loams— General  valley  floors. 
Red  Heavy  Silt  Loams— Hill  lands. 
Red  Loams— Hill  lands. 
Black  Loams— Lower  bottom  lands. 
White  Silt  Loams — Poorly  drained  valley  floor 
lands. 

(Light  Silt  Loams — Rolling  plains  or  plateau  lands. 
.(Red  Loams— Hill  lands. 
]  Black  Silt  Loams— Most  valley  bottom  lands. 
(Heavy  Silt  Loams— Mountain  valleys. 

Light  Sandy  Loams— Coast  bluffs. 

Gray    or    Brown    Sandy    Loams— Riv«r    flood 


plains. 
Black 


Marsh  Soils.. 


Special  Types. 


Gravelly  Loams— River  wash  areas. 

[Brown  Coarse  Sandy  Loams-^Columbia  Basin 
A       river  bluffs  and  tributary  river  bottoms. 
(Brown  or  Gray  Medium  Sandy  Loams — Central 
Oregon  rolling  plateau  lands. 

[Black  "Beaver  Dam"— Old  marsh  soils— Willam- 
ette Valley. 
.  j  Silty,  Marsh  Mucks— Tideland  marshes  of  coast 

I        and  Columbia  River. 

[Raw  Peaty  Mucks— Tideland  marshes  and  Cen- 
tral Oregon  interior  marshes. 

"Adobe" — Heavy  sticky  clay  soils — black,  red, 
gray— Southern  Oregon  and  in  spots  through- 
out the  state. 

"Granitic  Soils" — Coarse  sandy  soils — yellow, 
white — Southern  Oregon. 

"Pumice  Soils" — White  or  yellow,  coarse  pumice 
and  sands— Central  Oregon  towards  head  of 
Deschutes  River. 

"Alkali  Soils" — Generally  silt  loams — local  areas 
in  Eastern  Oregon  only. 


Approximate  Composition  of  Some  of  Chief  Oregon  Soil  Types. 


Clay 
% 

Silt 
% 

Sands. 

Total 
Rock 
Particles 
% 

Organic 

Matter 
% 

Very  Fine 
and 
Fine  % 

Medium 
and 
Coarse  % 

Silt  Loams 
Heavy  Type  (Silt  Clay)  

31 
22 
11 

62 
68 
44 

5 
7 
38 

2 
3 

7 

100 
100 
100 

8 
8 
3 

Light  Type  (Loam)  

Sandy  Loams 
Coarse  Type          

2 
6 
9 

6 
12 

21 

41 
60 
63 

51 
22 
7 

100 
100 
100 

3 

4 

Medium  Type 

Fine  Type  

Marsh  Soils 
"Beaver  Dam"         

8 
15 

16 
43 

14 
10 

11 
6 

49 
74 

51 
26 

"SiltMuck"  

"Adobe"  or  "Sticky" 
(Clay)  

53 

19 

21                 7 

100                 11 

•Granitic". 


17 


27 


I        43 


100 


The  greatest  factor  in  the  agricultural  wealth  of  any  country 
is  the  fertility  of  its  soils.  Oregon  is  widely  known  for  the  mildness 
of  temperature,  ample  rainfall  and  long  growing  season  prevailing 
in  certain  of  its  districts,  yet  the  state  is  even  more  fortunate  in 


OREGON  FARMER  47 

the  possession  of  a  soil  cover  of  unusual  natural  fertility  and  great 
endurance  under  cropping.  Great  natural  fertility  or  "strength" 
of  soil  is  the  most  valuable  agricultural  asset  a  country  may  possess. 
The  soils  of  the  state  may  be  roughly  divided  into  four  great 
classes,  which  in  order  of  importance  are  as  follows: 

The  Silt  Loams.  This  is  the  most  widespread  and  most  important 
soil  class.  The  silt  loams  are  found  in  large  areas  in  practically 
every  county  in  the  state.  For  total  production;  for  adaption  to 
the  widest  variety  of  crops;  for  natural  fertility  and  for  most  other 
desirable  farming  qualities;  this  class  of  soils  is  the  most  valuable 
in  Oregon.  While  the  silt  loams  vary  in  composition  in  different 
parts  of  the  state,  their  important  qualities  remain  fairly  constant. 
They  are  universally  of  high  plant  food  content,  particularly  in 
total  potassium  and  phosphorus^  yet  their  greatest  claim  to  product- 
iveness is  their  physical  character.  The  average  Oregon  silt  loams 
are  a  happy  medium  between  the  sandy  loam  on  the  one  hand  and 
the  clay  loam  on  the  other,  having  the  bad  qualities  of  neither  and 
the  good  qualities  of  both.  Often  called  "volcanic  ash"  soils, 
particularly  in  Eastern  Oregon,  because  of  their  origin  and  uniformly 
fine,  powdery  texture — they  are  derived  largely  from  the  volcanic 
basalt,  a  fine  grained  dark  gray  rock  high  in  the  mineral  plant  food 
elements.  The  weathered  products  of  this  rock,  alluvially  deposited 
and  mixed  with  organic  matter  hi  greater  or  less  degree,  according 
to  the  precipitation  of  the  region,  form  the  soil  cover  of  the  great 
valley  floors  of  Western  Oregon,  the  rolling  plateau  lands  of  the 
Columbia  Basin,  and  the  inter-mountain  valleys  of  Eastern  Oregon. 

As  their  name  implies,  the  chief  component  of  the  soils  of  this 
class  is  silt,  which  is  intermediate  in  texture  or  size  of  particles 
between  the  clay  component  on  the  one  hand  and  the  finest  grade 
of  sand  on  the  other.  Analyses  of  many  samples  of  Oregon  silt 
loams  show  their  general  composition  to  be,  roughly,  as  shown  in 
table,  page  46. 

As  shown,  they  are  a  very  uniformly  fine  grained  powdery  soil 
having  the  desirable  qualities  of  clay  for  the  retention  of  moisture 
and  plant  foods  and  large  surface  area  for  the  breaking  down  of 
plant  foods  through  chemical  and  bacterial  activities  and  for  feeding 
plant  roots,  but  because  of  the  relatively  small  amount  of  the  clay 
component  contained  as  compared  with  the  amount  of  silt,  these 
soils  drain  quickly,  warm  up  and  become  mellow  earlier  and  handle 
more  easily  through  a  longer  working  and  growing  season  than  the 
clay  loam  type.  The  cold  slowness,  puddling,  clodding,  baking, 
and  cracking  qualities  common  to  clay  soils  are  absent.  On  the 
other  hand,  they  contain  little  sand  and  do  not  dry  out  during  drouth 
or  leach  of  plant  foods  as  do  the  sandy  loams.  Physically  this  class 
of  soil  requires  for  its  maintenance  in  the  highest  state  of  fertility 
additions  of  (1)  humus  forming  material  through  good  rotations 
and  (2)fampleJ  cultivation.  To  both  extra  humus  additions  and 
extra  tillage,  silt  loams  respond  quick  and  generously.  The 


48  OREGON  FARMER 

natural  fertility  of  the  silt  loams  is  so  high  that  where  good  rotations 
are  used  commercial  fertilizers  are  not  required. 

In  Western  Oregon  where  the  rainfall  is  heavy  the  silt  loams 
are  lacking  somewhat  in  lime  and  become  acid  if  not  amended 
with  applications  of  the  ground  limestone,  which  material  is  now 
available  hi  Oregon  and  may  be  used  with  great  profit. 

The  silt  loams  of  the  valley  floors  or  rolling  table  lands  vary  in 
color  through  all  the  shades  of  gray  to  black,  while  those  of  the  hill 
lands  range  through  the  shades  of  red  to  a  deep  chocolate  or  brownish 
black  color. 

The  silt  loams  of  the  valleys  of  humid  Western  Oregon  or  irrigated 
Eastern  Oregon  are  notable  for  their  high  production  under  intensive 
handling,  especially  of  forage  crops  for  dairying  or  diversified  farming 
such  as  the  clovers,  alfalfa,  vetch,  kale,  roots,  potatoes,  corn,  grasses, 
grain,  etc.,  and  for  high  grade  fruit  production.  In  the  dry  farming 
area  of  Eastern  Oregon  these  silt  loams  find  great  favor  because 
of  their  remarkable  qualities  for  moisture  retention,  ease  of  tillage 
and  availability  of  plant  food. 

The  Sandy  Loams.  The  sandy  loams  cover  a  considerable  area  hi 
the  state,  in  all  cases  lying  immediately  adjacent  to  present  or  former 
water  bodies.  The  low  bluff  lands  immediately  on  the  coast;  the 
flood  plains  of  the  rivers  throughout  the  state;  old  river  washes  and 
alluvial  fans;  the  low  wind-blown  bluffs  extending  back  from  the 
Columbia  River;  and  the  great  rolling  plateau  lands  of  Central 
Oregon,  former  bottom  of  a  great  inland  sea — these  are  the  areas 
where  the  sandy  loams  obtain. 

The  river  flood  plains  naturally  have  the  richest  of  these  sandy 
loams — mixed  of  fine  sediments,  sands  and  silts  varying  from  coarse 
sands  at  the  stream  to  the  finest  sandy  loams  further  back.  These 
soils  are  of  good  plant  food  content  but  under  heavy  cropping  without 
proper  rotation  do  not  have  the  endurance  of  the  silt  loams,  as  they 
do  not  have  so  great  a  total  plant  food  supply.  Because  of  their 
earliness,  ease  of  tillage,  quick  maturing,  and  high  availability  of 
the  plant  foods  contained,  they  are  adapted  to  the  most  intensive 
methods — trucking,  intensive  dairying,  small  fruits,  etc.  On  this 
account  the  fertility  can  be  maintained  easily  enough  at  the  highest 
state  by  the  use  of  legumes,  manures  and  fertilizers.  For  growth 
of  any  succulent  crop  such  as  roots,  kale,  cabbage,  potatoes,  corn, 
etc.,  heavy  fertilizing  will  give  very  profitable  and  quick  returns. 
This  is  equally  true  of  the  irrigated  sandy  loams  of  the  Columbia 
Basin  and  Central  Oregon.  Legumes,  manure  and  applications  of 
potassium  in  commercial  form,  give  splendid  results.  This  type  is 
one  of  the  best  in  both  Western  and  Eastern  Oregon  for  alfalfa 
growing. 

On  the  dry  farming  lands  this  type  is  less  desirable  but  still  a 
productive  soil  as  no  leaching  has  occured  under  the  semi-arid  con- 
ditions and  the  plant  food  supply,  highly  available,  has  been 
retained.  It  must  be  more  carefully  farmed  than  the  silt  loams 


OREGON  FARMER  49 

under  these  conditions,  however,  in  order  to  maintain  fertility, 
with  good  rotations  and  more  or  less  livestock  production,  as  com- 
mercial fertilizers  may  not  be  used.  (Composition,  sandy  loams, 
table,  page  46.) 

The  Marsh  Soils.  As  their  name  suggests,  these  soils  are  the 
results  of  the  accumulations  from  the  decay  of  generations  of  the 
rank  growth  of  the  fresh  water  marshes,  sedges,  rushes,  "tules", 
etc. — mixed  with  more  or  less  silt  and  other  sediments  brought  in 
by  the  adjoining  stream.  The  largest  areas  of  these  soils  are  found 
along  the  coast  on  the  rivers  below  tidewater — such  as  the  Columbia, 
Coquille  and  Coos  rivers — and  surrounding  some  of  the  interior 
lakes  east  of  the  Cascades — such  as  Klamath  and  Silver  Lakes. 
Smaller  former  marsh  areas  are  found  in  the  lower  Willamette  Valley 
where  the  beavers,  damming  vup  small  streams,  caused  marshes — 
giving  rise  to  the  local  name  "  beaver  dam"  soils.  These  "beaver 
dams",  like  all  marsh  soils,  are  very  high  in  organic  matter  content, 
intensely  black  in  color,  rich  in  nitrogen,  but  deficient  in  lime  and 
potash,  acid  in  reaction,  and  nearly  always  lacking  in  drainage. 
Where  lying  between  the  stream  and  higher  ground,  as  practically 
always  they  do,  these  soils  vary  from  (according  to  the  drainage) 
either  deep,  black,  well  decayed  organic  matter  or  deep,  raw,  brown, 
peaty  muck,  at  the  center  of  the  marsh — to  a  sandy  loam  at  the 
bank  of  the  stream  and  a  silty  muck  or  clay  muck  as  the  higher 
lands  back  of  the  marsh  are  approached.  The  rawness  of  these 
soils  depends  altogether  on  the  drainage.  While  the  Western 
Oregon  marsh  soils  are  all  acid  in  reaction,  in  Eastern  and  Central 
Oregon,  the  reverse  is  the  case,  some  of  the  Central  Oregon  marshes 
being  strongly  alkaline. 

The  first  step  with  marsh  soils  is  reclamation  through  drainage 
or,  along  the  coast,  through  dyking  and  drainage.  These  soils 
are  then  cleared  of  their  rank  growth  of  marsh  grasses,  burned, 
deeply  plowed,  cropped  with  oats  several  years,  then  to  such 
intensive  dairy  crops  as  mangels,  turnips,  kale,  corn,  hay  and  grains, 
and  still  later  in  smaller  units  to  more  intensive  crops  such  as  pota- 
toes, cabbage,  celery,  onions,  etc.,  becoming  wonderful  truck 
producers.  Deficiencies  in  lime  and  potash  may  be  very  profitably 
corrected  with  commercial  applications  because  of  the  intensive 
use  of  these  soils.  When  reclaimed  and  developed  these  are 
among  the  richest,  easiest  working  and  highest  priced  soils  in 
the  state.  (Composition,  marsh  soils,  table,  page  46.) 

The  "Adobe"  Soils.  This  type  of  soil,  sometimes  called  also 
"black  sticky"  or  "red  sticky",  according  to  the  color,  is  found  only 
in  limited  amounts  as  compared  with  the  great  soil  types  of  the 
state  previously  discussed.  It  occurs  in  spots,  however,  in  nearly 
every  section  of  the  state,  these  patches  varying  in  area  from  a 
couple  of  acres  to  as  high  as  a  quarter  section  in  some  cases.  Many 
farms  in  Western  Oregon,  especially  those  in  portions  of  the  valleys 
adjacent  to  the  hills,  will  have  a  few  acres  of  this  type  of  soil.  Prob- 
ably the  largest  areas  of  "sticky"  soils  are  found  in  the  Southern 


50  OREGON  FARMER 

Oregon  division  in  the  Rogue  River  Valley  and  the  Umpqua  Valley. 

As  might  be  inferred,  this  soil  is  extreme  in  nearly  all  of  its  qualities. 
It  is  very  difficult  to  plow  or  handle  when  wet  and  equally  difficult 
to  put  in  a  good  state  of  tilth  when  dry.  It  does  not  drain  well 
and  warms  up  slowly  in  the  spring.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is 
extremely  rich  in  plant  foods,  especially  in  potassium  and  phos- 
phorous. As  shown  in  the  table,  page  46,  practically  all  of  the 
extreme  qualities  of  this  so-called  "adobe",  which  is  really  a  clay, 
are  due  to  the  extraordinarily  high  percentage  of  the  clay  itself 
contained,  of  which  component  a  considerable  amount  is  colloidal 
or  glue-like  in  character.  The  most  common  color  of  this  type  is  a 
deep  black,  but  frequently  it  is  red  or  light  gray. 

Notwithstanding  its  objectionable  features,  this  soil  is  one  of 
the  most  valuable  found  in  the  state  when  properly  handled,  and 
the  farmer  is  well  repaid  for  the  additional  care  it  must  receive 
in  the  splendid  returns  it  gives.  Some  of  the  finest  quality  and 
heaviest  yields  of  such  fruits  as  pears  and  apples  and  of  vegetables 
of  many  kinds,  of  field  corn,  and  other  cultivated  crops,  are  obtained 
from  this  peculiarly  rich  land.  The  handling  qualities  of  this  soil, 
which  rolls  off  of  the  moldboard  like  putty  when  too  moist  and  be- 
comes as  hard  as  iron,  baking  and  cracking  like  joint  clay,  when 
too  dry,  may  be  greatly  improved  by  heavy  additions  of  barnyard 
manure  and  green  manures  to  increase  the  humus  content,  together 
with  heavy  applications  of  ground  limestone.  As  this  type  frequently 
occurs  at  the  base  of  hills  where  there  is  considerable  seepage,  very 
commonly  under-drainage  with  tile  is  required  to  permit  of  its 
redemption  in  the  way  suggested.  Care  in  plowing  at  just  the 
right  time,  when  it  is  not  too  wet  to  puddle  or  smear,  and  to  com- 
plete the  plowing  quickly  before  it  gets  so  dry  as  to  become  cloddy, 
is  an  important  essential.  Good  rotations  devoted  largely  to 
thoroughly  cultivated  crops  should  be  followed. 

The  "Granitic"  Soils.  This  type  of  soil  occurs  only  in  Southern 
Oregon,  largely  in  the  Rogue  River  Valley,  where  considerable 
areas  of  it  are  found  on  portions  of  the  rolling  hill  lands  and  in  the 
valleys.  While  much  of  the  soil  of  the  Rogue  River  Valley  is  derived 
from  the  granite  rock,  the  soils  commonly  designated  by  the  term 
"granitic"  and  referred  to  here,  are  the  very  coarse  sandy  areas, 
nearly  white,  light  gray,  yellow,  or  light  red  in  color,  which  are  as 
yet  but  little  used  for  agriculture.  As  indicated,  these  "granitic" 
soils  are  very  coarse  in  texture,  having  large  amounts  of  coarse 
sands  and  only  relatively  small  amounts  of  silt  and  clay.  As  might 
be  expected,  this  soil  is  lacking  in  natural  strength,  being  low  in 
nitrogen  and  organic  matter  and  potassium  and  phosphorus.  The 
plant  food  contained,  however,  is  in  a  fairly  available  form  and  with 
proper  handling  these  areas  will  undoubtedly  become  valuable. 
The  sandiness  of  the  soil  makes  it  early  and  desirable  for  rapid 
growing  crops  such  as  vegetables,  peaches,  strawberries,  and  the 
like,  where  early"  maturity  is  desired/-  Further,  the^soil  responds 
wonderfully  to  the  application  of  fertilizers  and  the  use  of  good 


OREGON  FARMER  51 

rotations.  Barnyard  and  green'manures  together  with  the  growing 
of  leguminous  crops  such  as  will  add  large  amounts  of  humus, 
give  splendid  results.  With  this  sort  of  treatment  and  the  addition 
of  reasonable  amounts  of  commercial  fertilizers,  the  fertility  of  this 
soil  will  be  greatly  increased  and  its  producing  strength  may  be 
permanently  maintained  for  profitable  cropping.  Some  of  these 
lands  already  farmed,  have  grown  products  of  splendid  quality. 
(Composition,  Table,  Page  46.) 

The  "Pumice"  Soils.  This  peculiar  type  covers  only  a  limited 
area  at  the  head  of  the  Deschutes  River  in  Central  Oregon.  It  is 
white,  gray,  yellow,  or  light  brown  in  color  and  very  coarse  and  porous 
in  texture,  being  made  up  largely  of  partially  disintegrated  pumice. 
Pumice  is  a  very  soft,  exceedingly  light  and  fine  grained  porous 
rock  of  volcanic  origin,  which  might  be  most  aptly  described  as 
volcanic  spume.  The  qualities  and  agricultural  value  of  this 
"pumice"  soil  are  as  yet  largely  undetermined.  The  plant  food  con- 
tent appears  to  be  reasonably  good,  but  the  peculiar  physical  charac- 
ter (lightness  in  weight,  and  great  porosity),  combined  with  the 
rather  high  altitudes  at  which  it  is  found,  make  the  best  use  and 
production  possibilities  of  this  soil,  problematic,  and  its  ultimate 
use  and  value  are  yet  to  be  determined.  Because  of  its  peculiar 
physical  qualities,  its  mechanical  composition  is  not  given  here. 

The  "Alkali"  Soils.  Because  of  the  heavy  rainfall,  alkali  soils  do 
not  occur  west  of  the  Cascades  in  Oregon.  In  Eastern  Oregon 
practically  all  of  the  soils  are  moderately  alkaline  in  reaction,  but 
only  sufficiently  so  to  make  this  quality  of  great  value  in  offering 
desirable  soil  conditions  for  crop  production.  Only  in  those  areas 
of  the  semi-arid  districts  where  the  land  lies  so  flat  or  pan-like  as 
to  lack  good  natural  drainage  does  the  alkali  become  so  excessive 
in  amount  as  to  be  injurious  to  crop  production.  The  presence 
of  injurious  amounts  of  alkali  is  indicated  in  dry  weather  by  the 
appearance  on  the  surface  soil  of  the  whitish  powder  or  crystals 
of  the  "white"  alkalies,  or  the  blackish  brown  stains  of  the  "black" 
alkali;  but  at  any  time  of  the  year  the  absence  of  the  heavy  black 
sage  and  the  presence  of  such  alkali-resistant  plants  as  greasewood, 
saltbush,  saltgrass,  etc.,  together  with  the  observable  lack  of  natural 
drainage,  are  good  indications  of  the  presence  of  excessive  amounts 
of  salts.  Such  areas  are  to  be  avoided,  unless  the  land  can  be  artifi- 
ficially  drained  and  irrigated.  On  irrigable  lands,  artificial  drainage 
followed  by  flooding  with  irrigation  water  will  wash  out  excessive 
alkali,  and  the  use  of  heavy  dressings  of  barnyard  manure  and  green 
manures  together  with  deep  plowing  and  thorough  summer  culti- 
vation to  stop  surface  evaporation  of  moisture,  will  reduce  and  dis- 
tribute the  alkali  so  that  profitable  production  may  become  possible. 

On  dry  farming  lands  strong  alkali  areas  are  very  undesirable. 
While  deep  plowing  and  the  addition  of  organic  matter,  greatly 
improve  such  areas  and  in  many  cases  entirely  reclaim  them,  yet 
for  the  most  part  strongly  alkaline  spots  in  the  soil  are  to  be  avoided 
for  this  type  of  farming.  In  portions  of  Central  Oregon,  alkali 


52  OREGON  FARMER 

hardpans  are  not  uncommon  in  the  subsoil.  Such  lands  should 
always  be  examined  by  making  borings  to  determine  the  presence 
of  this  undesirable  condition.  It  has  been  found  in  many  cases 
in  the  Central  Oregon  dry  farming  lands,  where  such  hardpans  occur 
that  the  conservation  of  moisture  resultant  from  the  use  of  good 
dry  farming  methods  tends  to  dissolve  and  melt  down  these  hard 
pans  so  that  they  are  no  longer  injurious  to  crop  growth,  but  where 
possible  it  is  better  to  avoid  this  condition. 


FARM  CROPS  OF  OREGON 

Oregon  and  Other  States. 

That  the  opportunity  for  the  grower  of  field  crops  in  Oregon  is 
unusual  there  are  authoritative  records  to  prove.  A  comparison 
of  Oregon  crops  with  those  of  other  well  known  states  which  lead 
in  the  total  production  of  the  chief  field  crops  shows  almost  without 
exception  that  with  the  rate  at  which  Oregon  soils  produce — in 
yield  per  acre  and  also  very  commonly, in  price  per  bushel  or  value 
of  the  goods  produced — this  state  is  superior  to  the  largest  producers 
in  the  Union.  This  remains  true  whether  the  average  yield  per  acre 
for  the  past  ten  years  be  taken  or  the  yield  of  the  last  crop  year. 

(See  Tables  3  and  4,  pages  53  and '54.) 

Oregon  Crop  Production  by  Regions. 

The  counties  in  the  state  in  which  the  largest  amounts  of  each 
crop  is  produced  is  shown  on  page  55.  Comparison  of  the  total 
production  of  the  most  important  crops  in  the  different  districts 
of  the  state  is  shown  on  page  54.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  Willamette 
Valley  leads  in  the  production  of  Oats,  Potatoes,  Hops,  Corn,  Clover 
Hay  and  Seed,  Vetch  Hay  and  Seed,  Timothy  and  Clover,  Grain 
cut  green,  Kale,  and  total  Hay  of  all  kinds.  The  Columbia  Basin 
leads  in  Wheat  and  Barley.  Central  Oregon  is  first  in  Alfalfa  and 
in  Grass  Hay,  and  the  Blue  Mountain  region  is  a  close  second  in 
Alfalfa,  Clover  and  Timothy,  and  in  Grass  Hay. 

The  average  size  of  the  acreage  on  the  individual  farm,  the  average 
yield  per  acre,  and  the  average  price  and  value  for  each  important 
crop  in  each  different  district  is  shown  in  the  data  obtained  in  the 
Agricultural  Survey  of  representative  farms  of  the  state.  (See  pages 
56  to  59).  In  studying  these  tables  it  should  be  remembered  how 
the  various  sections  differ  as  to  rainfall,  irrigation,  price  of  land,  etc., 
in  making  comparison  of  yields.  The  crop  yields  named  are  average 
yields  in  all  cases;  taken  from  farms  that  were  selected  as  representing 
average  possibilities  in  each  region.  Further,  the  year  1911  in  most 
parts  of  Oregon  was  below  normal  both  for  yields  and  prices.  The 
averages,  yields  and  prices  are  all  the  actual  figures  obtained  on 
these  farms  for  1911.  It  should  be  observed  that  the  figures  under 
AVERAGE  VALUE  PER  ACRE  are  not  obtained  by  multiplying 
AVERAGE  YIELD  by  AVERAGE  PRICE  .but  are  the  average 
of  values  actually  obtained  and  may  include  the  value  of  straw, 


OREGON  FARMER 


53 


etc.  The  yields  where  the  best  methods  are  used  and  in  more 
favorable  seasons  are  much  higher,  in  most  cases,  than  those  given 
in  the  tables. 


OREGON  YIELDS  AND  PRICES  COMPARED  WITH  STATES 
LEADING  IN  TOTAL  PRODUCTION. 

(Note :    In  each  table  the  first  three  states  named  lead  in  total  pro- 
duction in  the  order  named.    Figures  taken  from  last  U.  S.  Census.) 


Table  1 


WHEAT 


Largest  Producers. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
Average    10    Years. 
1900-1909. 

Yield  in  Busheli. 
Average 
1912. 

North  Dakota    

12.1 

180 

14  0 

15  5 

23  1 

23  5 

OTHER  STATES. 

Minnesota                            

13  0 

15  5 

Nebraska 

17  5 

17  6 

South  Dakota                     

12  1 

14  2 

13  4 

12  5 

Pennsylvania                

13  8 

18  0 

United  States 

14  1 

15  9 

OREGON         

19.5 

25.0 

Table  2 


BARLEY. 


Largest  Producers. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
Average    10   Years. 
1900-1909. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
Average 
1912. 

California  

24  5 

30  0 

25  7 

28  2 

Wisconsin  

28  6 

29  4 

OTHER  STATES. 

North  Dakota  
South  Dakota 

23.0 
25  3 

29.9 
26  0 

Iowa    

25  6 

31  0 

Kansas                        

19  8 

23  5 

Nebraska 

24  0 

22  0 

United  States 

25  7 

29  7 

OREGON 

32  2 

86  0 

Table  3 


POTATOES. 


Largest  Producers. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
Average    10   Years. 
1900-1909. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
Average 
1912. 

92  0 

120  0 

Michigan  

88  0 

105  0 

New  York                                         

88  0 

107  0 

OTHER  STATES. 

88  0 

10E     A 

Indiana                      

79  0 

114  0 

Kansas 

76  0 

•*    A 

Ohio  

84  0 

1  112  0 

Illinois 

85  0 

101  0 

United  States... 

91  4 

11  34 

OREGON  

109.0 

?15.50 

54                                              OREGON  FARMER 
Table  4                                                         HAY 

Largest  Producers. 

Yield  in  Tons. 
Average  10  Years. 
1900-1909. 

Yield  in  Tons. 
Average 
1912. 

New  York 

.22 
.32 
.34 

.55 
.38 
.56 
.35 
.36 
.44 
Ml 

i 

.25 
.43 
.33 

.40 
.36 
.60 
.30 
.37 
.47 
1.20 

Pennsylvania  

Michigan                               .  .             .     . 

OTHER  STATES. 

Iowa                                     . 

Ohio  

Wisconsin                          

Illinois 

Indiana  

United  States 

OREGON  

FIELD  PEAS. 


Largest  Producers. 

Yield  in  Bushels. 
1909 

Value  Per 
Bushel 
1909. 

Michigan  

J2  24 

15 

Wisconsin 

16  2 

41 

Colorado  

10.65 

53 

OTHER  STATES. 

Illinois  

4  5 

48 

Indiana 

6  74 

51 

New  York  

17.84 

64 

Missouri 

4  74 

64 

Ohio  

9.41 

74 

United  States  

5  46 

50 

OREGON  

21.4 

.71 

OATS. 


Largest  Producers. 

Yield     in     Bushels 
per  Acre  Average 
1900-1909. 

Value  per  Bushel 
10  Years  Average 
1900-1909. 

Iowa  

29.5 

SO  30 

Illinois    

31  2 

0  34 

Minnesota 

31  7 

0  31 

OTHER  STATES. 

Nebraska  

26.4 

0  30 

Kansas        

24  4 

0  35 

Missouri 

23  4 

0  35 

Michigan  

31  6 

0  37 

Indiana 

29  0 

0  34 

United  States  .  .  . 

29.5 

0  355 

OREGON  

30.0 

0.44 

OREGON  LEADS  IN  HOP  PRODUCTION. 

(From  U.  S.  Census). 


State. 


Oregon. 

California 

New  York 

Washington 

Wisconsin 

All  other  States 


Total  United  States... 


Total  Production 
1909. 


16,582,562  pounds. 

11,994,953 

8,667,138 

3,432,504 

13,290 

18,301 


40,718,748 


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57 


AVERAGE  FARM  ACREAGE,  PRICE,  YIELD  AND  VALUE  OF  EACH  OF 

THE  CHIEF  FIELD  CROPS  IN  THE  DIFFERENT  REGIONS  OF 

OREGON-AS  GROWN  ON  REPRESENTATIVE  FARMS 

IN  1911. 
From  Agricultural  Surrey. 

Note:  In  all  these  tables  the  size  of  the  farm  acreage  indicates  to 
a  considerable  extent  the  relative  importance  of  the  crop  in  the  different 
regions. 

WINTER  WHEAT. 


Division. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Acreage. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Price. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Yield. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave 
Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast  

4 

4 

2 

$1.00 

3 

31 

2 

$28  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon  . 
Columbia  Basin.  . 
Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 
Central  Oregon... 

247 
20 
103 
40 
22 

26 
20 
377 
63 
63 

167 
13 
87 
24 
16 

.84 
1.17 
.73 
.75 

.97 

236 
18 
98 
30 
17 

26 
22 
29 
27 
21 

104 
9 
53 
2 
13 

21.00 
23.00 
12.00 
27.00 
25.00 

State  Average 

96 

$0  86 

26 

$20  00 

The  winter  wheat,  the  leading  grain  crop  of  the  state,  is  grown 
largely  (See  above  table)  in  the  Columbia  Basin  and  Central 
Oregon  and  Blue  Mountain  regions  under  the  dry  farming  systems, 
as  shown  by  the  size  of  the  average  individual  farm  acreage.  The 
best  common  varieties  are  the  Turkey  Red,  Forty-Fold,  on  the  lighter 
soils  and  dryer  areas,  and  Red  Chaff  and  Dale's  Gloria,  on  the  heavier 
and  moister  areas.  The  range  in  dry  farming  yields  in  the  different 
parts  of  these  regions  is  from  10  bushels  to  50  bushels  per  acre,  with  the 
land  "summer  fallowed"  alternate  years.  The  seeding  rate  is  45 
pounds  to  the  acre,  except  in  Central  Oregon,  where  20  pounds  is 
the  prevailing  rate.  Wheat  growing  in  Western  Oregon  is  on  the 
decline,  giving  place  to  barley  and  oats  and  more  intensive  crops. 

SPRING  WHEAT. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 

Acre. 

Coast  

12 

4 

3 

$1.00 

5 

31 

3 

$32.00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 

126 

7 

15 
23 

93 
5 

.77 
1.08 

122 
6 

26 
23 

68 
1 

20.00 
36.00 

Columbia  Basin.  . 

35 

128 

20 

.72 

23 

21 

14 

20.00 

Blue  Mountain..  . 

94 

41 

99 

.85 

32 

26 

6 

33.00 

Central  Oregon.  .  . 

51 

38 

43 

.95 

47 

29 

32 

25.00 

State  Average  

39 

*$0.86 



27 

$23.00 

Spring  wheat  is  also  grown  largely  in  Eastern  Oregon,  but  in  not 
nearly  so  large  acreages  as  winter  wheat.  It  is  sown  on  such  land  as 
cannot  be  seeded  in  the  fall.  It  is  giving  way  to  other  spring-sown 
crops  such  as  emmer,  field  peas,  etc.  Blue-stem  is  the  best  common 
variety. 


58 


OREGON  FARMER 
OATS. 


Division. 

No. 

Report*. 

Ave. 
Acreage. 

No. 

Reports. 

Ave. 
Price. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Yield. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave 
Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast  

22 

11 

17 

10.36 

21 

46 

14 

$24  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon  . 
Columbia  B^sin.  . 
Blue  Mountain... 
Central  Oregon.  .  . 

340 
63 
44 
61 
28 

37 
16 
45 
35 
29 

214 
28 
14 
37 
19 

.41 

.57 
.54 
.55 
.66 

278 
62 
28 
50 
26 

40 
37 
42 
53 
33 

107 
8 
6 
16 
9 

17.00 
18.00 
13.00 
30.00 
18.00 

State  Average  

31 



$0.51 

42 



18.00 

The  production  of  oats  is  increasing  in  amount  and  yield  as  better 
rotations  and  varieties  are  used,  the  bulk  of  the  crop  being  grown  in 
the  Willamette  Valley  and  considerable  amounts  in  irrigated  sections 
of  Eastern  Oregon.  (See  above  table).  Oat  prices  are  always 
very  good.  The  best  common  varieties  are  Swedish  Select,  Silver- 
mine,  Improved  American,  Shadeland  Climax,  and  on  the  dry 
lands,  Sixty-Day. 

BARLEY. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 

Acre. 

Coast 

11 

3 

2 

$0  78 

i 

50 

l 

$25  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 

50 

20 

12 

7 

22 
4 

.78 
.78 

48 
17 

40 
37 

18 
3 

36.00 
24.00 

Columbia  Basin.  . 

45 

73 

17 

.65 

28 

33 

7 

20.00 

Blue  Mountain..  . 

45 

35 

32 

.90 

39 

39 

9 

27.00 

Central  Oregon... 

55 

37 

44 

.84 

50 

31 

36 

28.00 

State  Average  

28 



$0.78 



46 

27.00 

Nearly  all  the  barley  is  grown  in  Eastern  Oregon  on  both  dry 
farming  and  irrigated  lands.  (See  above  table).  The  demand 
for  both  brewing  and  feed  barley  is  excellent.  Much  improved 
varieties  are  being  introduced  of  late.  The  crop  gives  very  large 
yields  in  Western  Oregon  where  good  rotations  are  used.  The  best 
varieties  are  the  Swan  Neck  and  Hannchen  for  dry  farms  and  the 
Wisconsin  Pedigreed  elsewhere. 

POTATOES 


Division. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 

Acreage. 

No. 
Report!. 

Ave. 
Price. 

No. 
Report!. 

Ave. 
Yield. 

No. 
Reports. 

Av« 

Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast  

100 

2 

48 

$0.86 

70 

194 

19 

$116  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon  . 
Columbia  Basin  .  . 
Blue  Mountain... 
Central  Oregon..  . 

370 
77 
58 
29 
81 

3 
2 
3 
4 
3 

276 
26 
8 
24 
66 

.85 
.97 
1.03 
1.11 
.82 

208 
13 
31 
15 
66 

156 
262 
146 
127 
196 

123 
2 
10 
7 
42 

152.05 
287.00 
203.00 
104.00 
141.00 

State  Average  

3 



$0.92 



175 

$148.00 

The  Willamette  Valley  produces  the  bulk  of  the  potato  crop  on  its 
sandy  river  loams  or  rich  red  hill  lands.  (See  above  table). 
There  is  a  considerable  amount  produced  in  the  irrigated  sections  of 
Eastern  Oregon.  Probably  the  potatoes  of  the  finest  quality  and 


OREGON  FARMER 


59 


flavor  are  grown  on  the  dry  farming  lands.  The  market  is  nearly 
always  good,  1912  being  an  "off"  year  for  Oregon  as  well  as  the  rest 
of  the  United  States.  Yields  are  very  high  where  good  methods  are 
used.  The  best  common  varieties  are  the  American  Wonder  and  the 
Burbank. 

ALFALFA. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 
Columbia  Basin.  . 

357 
148 
204 

11 
17 
33 

31 

116 
87 

$  9.00 
13.50 
9.50 

15 

50 
55 

3.1 
3.8 
4.0 

23 
110 
81 

$33.00 
50.00 
44.00 

Blue  Mountain.  .  . 

112 

59 

105    ' 

7.50 

64 

2.8 

90 

24.00 

Central  Oregon... 

183 

59 

98 

8.00 

73 

2.5 

82 

26.00 

State  Average  

35 

$9.50 

3.5 

$35.00 

Alfalfa  is  grown  practically  altogether  in  Eastern  Oregon  on  irri- 
gated lands.  (See  above  table).  On  the  Coast  a  few  experi- 
mental acres  are  grown  and  in  the  Willamette  Valley  a  number  of 
small  plantings  are  doing  well  under  intensive  management  as  a 
soiling  (green  feeding)  crop  for  the  dairy  cows  during  the  summer 
months.  In  Southern  Oregon  the  crop  does  well  under  irrigation 
without  special  treatment.  Northeast  Malheur  County  on  the 
Snake  River  is  the  heaviest  yielding  alfalfa  section  in  the  state. 
Alfalfa  has  been  grown  very  successfully  on  the  dry  farms  in  rows 
for  seed,  and  this  use  of  the  crop  is  spreading  as  such  seed  is  of  the 
highest  quality. 

CLOVER. 


Division. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Acreage. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Price. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave. 
Yield. 

No. 
Reports. 

Ave 

Value  per 
Acre. 

Coast.... 

16 

130 

$  9.50 

25 

2.90 

109 

$34.00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 
Columbia  Basin.. 
Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 
Central  Oregon.  .  . 

13 
24 
50 
34 
68 

17 
5 

26 
42 
61 

190 
19 
5 
6 
24 

9.00 
12.00 
17.00 
9.00 
12.50 

87 
5 
2 
4 
13 

2.50 
2.80 
3.30 
2.40 
1.90 

174 
18 
5 
5 
20 

18.00 
27.00 
54.00 
15.00 
19.00 

State  Average  

22 

$10.50 



2.60 

$22.00 

Clover  is  the  great  Willamette  Valley  hay  and  seed  crop.  (See 
above  table).  Much  is  grown  on  the  Central  Oregon  irrigated 
lands.  High  yielding  both  as  hay  and  seed  crop  and  very  valuable  as 
hay,  pasture,  soiling,  seed  and  fertility-restoring  crop,  no  country 
anywhere,  excells  Oregon  in  clover  growing  and  few  equal  her.  Four 
tons  per  acre  is  not  an  uncommon  yield.  The  common  or  medium 
red  clover  is  the  chief  variety,  although  a  great  deal  of  alsike  is  grown 
on  the  wetter  lands.  These  two  are  grown  both  for  seed  and  hay  and 
soiling  purposes — the  seed  crops  being  especially  profitable.  Yields 
of  six  or  seven  bushels  of  red  clover  seed  per  acre  are  frequent.  White 
clover  is  in  the  pastures  everywhere  and  crimson  clover  is  grown  as  a 
winter  cover  and  green  manuring  crop. 


60 


OREGON  FARMER 


TIMOTHY. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 

Acre. 

Coast 

g 

15 

2 

$10  00 

6 

2  8 

2 

$25  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon  . 
Columbia  Basin.. 

53 
9 
11 

19 
14 

48 

25 

4 
4 

13.13 
13.75 
12.67 

48 
9 
7 

2.8 
1.9 
2.6 

11 
3 
1 

20.00 
31.00 
15.00 

Blue  Mountain.  .  . 

26 

67 

20 

9.87 

25 

2.1 

12 

18.00 

Central  Oregon.  .  . 

13 

72 

11 

9.68 

13 

1.8 

12 

20.00 

State  Average  

38 

$11  67 

2  2 

$21  00 

The  Blue  Mountain  region  under  irrigation  produces  the  largest 
amounts  and  finest  quality  of  timothy  alone  and  considerable  amounts 
of  timothy  and  clover  mixed.  The  Willamette  Valley  leads  in  the 
production  of  the  latter,  however.  This  is  another  hay  crop 
which  yields  exceptionally  well,  especially  under  irrigation.  Timothy 
seed  is  also  a  profitable  Oregon  crop. 

GRAIN  HAY. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 

Acre. 

Coast... 

81 

12 

25 

$10  96 

75 

4  0 

29 

$50  00 

Willamette  Valley 
Southern  Oregon. 
Columbia  Basin.. 

95 
80 
120 

12 

7 
48 

46 
34 
38 

10.20 
13.73 
11.25 

91 
78 
75 

1.8 
1.9 
1.6 

40 
17 
33 

17.00 
28.00 
17.00 

Blue  Mountain.  .  . 

38 

29 

10 

8.62 

29 

2.3 

6 

17.00 

Central  Oregon.  .  . 

113 

43 

79 

10.57 

102 

1.3 

87 

15.00 

State  Average  

25 

$10  71 

2  0 

$22  00 

In  the  dry  farming  sections  of  Eastern  Oregon,  grain  cut  green  for 
hay  is  the  most  common  hay  used  and  probably  the  best  under 
those  conditions  for  several  reasons.  In  Western  Oregon  where 
most  of  this  crop  is  cut,  there  is  little  excuse  for  the  practice  and  it 
is  diminishing  in  favor  of  the  superior  vetch  or  clover.  Grain  hay  is 
used  largely  at  home,  on  the  farm,  not  marketed.  A  common  mis- 
take in  Oregon  is  to  cut  grain  hay  too  ripe  to  get  the  best  quality. 

WILD  HAY. 


No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

No. 

Ave. 

Division. 

Reports. 

Acreage. 

Reports. 

Price. 

Reports. 

Yield. 

Reports. 

Value  per 

Acre. 

Coast.. 

23 

13 

12 

$  6  50 

23 

2  3 

12 

$10  00 

Willamette  Valley 

26 

13 

4 

8.25 

23 

1.3 

2 

17.00 

Southern  Oregon  . 
Columbia  Basin  .  . 

13 
2 

27 
80 

5 
1 

14.00 
6.00 

13 
2 

1.8 
2  9. 

4 

22.00 

Blue  Mountain... 

43 

216 

22 

8.80 

38 

1.8 

15 

12.00 

Central  Oregon.  .  . 

40 

181 

27 

8.21 

35 

1.2 

36 

10.00 

State  Average 

53 

$8  30 

1  8 

$14  00 

OREGON  FARMER 


61 


This  is  still  an  important  crop  in  the  Central  Oregon  and  Blue 
Mountain  meadows  where  the  winter  overflow  of  streams  is  utilized 
and  where  careful  irrigation  systems  have  not  yet  been  developed — 
where  rail  transportation  is  not  available  and  cattle  are  the  chief 
product.  (See  table,  page  60).  This  mountain  valley  wild  hay 
is  generally  of  excellent  quality  and  cheaply  produced,  but  in  time  it 
will  give  way  to  the  higher  yielding  and  better  alfalfa,  as  better 
irrigation  systems  are  developed. 


MISCELLANEOUS   CROPS. 
Grown  Only  in  Certain  Regions. 


Division. 

Average 
Acres  per 
Farm. 

Average  Price. 

Average 
Yield 
Per  Acre. 

Average 
Value 
Per  Acre. 

Coast  Region  — 
Kale 

1 

$  2  50  per  Ton. 

31  Tons. 

$87  00 

Vetch  

8 

8.50  per  Ton. 

4  Tons. 

22.00 

Willamette  Valley- 
Kale  

2 

2.  50  per  Ton. 

25  Tons. 

53.00 

Vetch 

16 

9.50  per  Ton. 

3  Tons. 

22  00 

Corn  
Clover  Seed 

4 
20 

.84perBu. 
.15perLb. 

28  Bu. 
303  Lbs. 

27.00 
31  00 

Southern  Oregon  — 
Vetch 

19 

12.  00  per  Ton. 

2  Tons. 

16  00 

Corn  

6 

.59  per  Bu. 

27  Bu. 

28.00 

Columbia  Basin  — 
Corn  

20 

.60perBu. 

25  Bu. 

25.00 

Blue  Mountain  Region  — 

Alfalfa  Seed... 

35 

.14perLb. 

•150  Lbs. 

20.00 

Rye.    .    .                                  

19 

.  93  per  Bu. 

16  Bu. 

Central  Oregon- 
Alfalfa  Seed       

14 

.  14  per  Lb. 

310  Lbs. 

40  00 

Rye  

39 

.93perBu. 

14  Bu. 

16.00 

*Note:— This  yield  is  below  the  average  of  the  region. 

The  crops  recorded  in  this  table  are  grown  extensively  only  in  the 
regions  shown,  yet  are  some  of  the  most  valuable  the  state  produces. 
The  Thousand-Headed  Kale  and  Smooth  Vetch  especially  are  crops 
peculiar  to  Oregon  and  little  grown  elsewhere,  while  the  clover  seed 
and  alfalfa  seed  are  two  of  the  most  valuable  cash  crops  of  the  state. 

Field  Crops  Adapted  to  Different  Districts. 

1.  For  Humid  Districts — Coast,  Willamette  Valley  and  Southern 
Oregon. 

A.    For  Dairy  Cows. 

Vetch  for  hay,  green  feed  or  silage. 
Clover  for  hay,  green  feed  or  silage. 

Alfalfa  for  hay  Southern  Oregon,  or  green  feed  Willamette  Valley 
and  Southern  Oregon. 
Field  peas  for  hay  or  green  feed. 
Kale  for  winter  or  summer  green  feed. 
Corn  for  green  feed  and  silage. 
Mangels  and  turnips  for  winter  green  feed. 
Field  squash  for  green  feed. 
Oats  and  barley  for  grain  feed. 


62  OREGON  FARMER 

Rye,  oats,  barley  and  wheat  in  mixtures  with  vetch  for  hay  or  green 
feed. 
Grasses  of  all  kinds  and  white  clover  for  pasture. 

B.  For  Hogs,  Sheep  and  Poultry. 

All  those  crops  named  above  for  hay,  soiling  or  grain,  and  in 
addition,  rape,  artichokes  and  emmer. 

C.  For  Cash  Field  Crops. 

Clover  seed,  vetch  seed,  grass  seeds,  field  pea  seed,  and  field  beans, 
except  on  the  coast. 
Potatoes  and  all  other  grains  and  hays,  except  alfalfa  on  the  coast. 

2.  For  the  Irrigated  Districts — Eastern  Oregon. 

All  the  same  crops  as  those  named  for  the  humid  districts  except 
kale  as  fall  feed  only  and  excepting  smooth  vetch,  field  beans  and 
clover  seed. 

3.  For  the  Dry  Farming  Districts — Eastern  Oregon. 

All  the  crops  named  for  the  humid  districts  but  kale  only  as  a  fall 
feed,  no  vetch,  no  field  beans,  no  clover  and  no  mangels.  Under  the 
dry  farming  conditions  alfalfa  and  field  peas  are  grown  in  cultivated 
rows  largely  for  seed  or  hog  pasture,  and  field  corn  for  "hogging  off," 
and  flax  for  seed,  white  turnips  and  field  squash  are  little  grown. 
The  small  grains  are  the  major  crops,  among  which  the  emmer  is  dis- 
placing the  oats,  while  the  hardier  sorghums  are  developing  as  fodder 
crops. 

Field  Crops  Not  Grown  in  Oregon. 

There  are  few  field  crops  that  are  not  successfully  produced  in 
Oregon.  In  Western  Oregon,  flax  for  fibre  of  unusual  quality  and  in 
Eastern  Oregon  first  class  sugar  beets  have  been  grown,  but  both  of 
these  crops  require  an  abundant  supply  of  cheap  labor  not  found  here 
as  yet.  Cow  peas  are  not  grown  successfully  but  field  peas  are  one  of 
the  very  best  of  Oregon  crops.  Soy  beans  are  just  beginning  to  be 
grown  but  are  not  fully  adapted  as  yet  to  Oregon  conditions.  Field 
beans  are  raised  very  profitably  in  the  Southern  Oregon  section. 
Corn,  especially  for  green  feed,  silage  and  "hogging  off,"  is  in  recent 
years  grown  very  profitably,  but  since  most  of  the  crop  is  utilized  in 
these  forms  instead  of  in  the  ear,  the  tables  of  production  do  not  show 
the  importance  of  the  crop. 

Rotations  and  Cropping  Systems  for  Oregon. 

All  the  essential  legumes,  cultivated  crops,  cover  crops,  green 
manures,  catch  crops,  nurse  crops,  etc.,  required  to  form  rotations 
adapted  to  every  purpose  and  to  every  soil  and  climatic  condition 
in  the  state, — are  available  to  Oregon.  The  best  of  rotations  for 
maintaining  fertility  are  possible  in  every  section  and  Oregon  soils, 
still  with  a  wealth  of  natural  fertility,  respond  quickly  to  good 
rotations.  Such  soils  as  have  been  cropped  continuously  for  many 
years  show  the  abuse  only  in  a  decreased  humus  content  and  un- 
desirable physical  condition,  both  of  which  are  quickly  restored  by 
the  use  of  a  good  rotaion.  Practically  no  commercial  fertilizers  are 


OREGON  FARMER  63 

required  and  this  is  of  special  importance  to  the  general  farmer  who 
cannot  afford  costly  fertilizers.  Phosphorus,  the  plant  food  element 
which  must  generally  first  be  replaced  through  commercial  fertiliza- 
tion, is  unusually  abundant  in  most  Oregon  soils.  Lime,  which  plays 
an  important  part  in  fertility,  is  abundant  in  all  Eastern  Oregon  soils, 
but  in  Western  Oregon — as  in  nearly  all  humid  soils — is  scanty. 
But  large  lime  deposits  are  available  for  correcting  this  deficiency. 

Cropping  systems  for  supplying  green  feed  for  dairy  cows  con- 
tinuously throughout  the  year  are  one  of  the  unique  features  of  the 
Western  Oregon  dairy  farm.  On  the  higher  priced  lands  closer  in, 
such  a  system  permits  very  intensive  dairying,  maintaining  a  cow  to 
every  acre  where  the  system  is  fully  developed,  and  steadily  increasing 
fertility.  Under  favorable  conditions  it  requires  only  four  crops — 
smooth  vetch,  alfalfa,  corn  and  kale — to  furnish  such  continuous 
green  feed. 

Rotations  or  cropping  systems  for  hogs,  which  carry  the  animals 
from  farrowing  through  the  finishing  period  without  leaving  the 
pasture  until  they  go  to  market,  are  possible  both  in  Western  and 
Eastern  Oregon — the  "hogging  off"  of  vetch,  clover,  alfalfa,  field 
peas,  rape,  artichokes  and  corn  being  very  profitably  practiced. 
Similar  rotations  for  sheep  and  poultry  permit  handling  all  of  these 
animals  on  a  like  intensive  scale.  The  irrigated  areas  as  well  as  the 
dry  farming  lands  have  available  such  cropping  systems  and  fertility 
rotations  as  fit  their  special  requirements. 

For  the  farmer  who  wishes  to  grow  field  crops  only  (and  this  is 
most  attractive  of  all  types  of  farming  for  the  man  of  small  capital 
who  must  have  immediate  returns)  the  list  of  cash  crops  successfully 
grown  in  Oregon  is  unusually  good.  No  better  crops  than  clover 
seed,  vetch  seed,  grass  seeds,  field  pea  seed,  field  beans,  alfalfa  seed  or 
potatoes  can  be  found  either  for  profits  or  fertility. 


Note  the  map  indicating  the  six  great  geographical  sub- 
divisions of  the  State.  This  is  something  like  dividing 
animals  into  general  families ;  the  cat  family,  the  dog  fam- 
ily, the  horse  family,  etc.  tThere  is  still  a  big  difference 
between  the  lion  and  a  house-cat,  and  you  must  not  expect 
uniform  conditions  throughout  the  whole  of  any  of  these 
great  subdivisions  of  our  State.  For  detailed  descriptions 
of  each  section  in  each  County,  consult  the  Oregon  Almanac. 


The  disappointed  homeseeker  is  worse  than  a  poor  adver- 
tisement. He  discourages  his  neighbors  and  scatters  seeds 
of  failure.  The  State  of  Oregon  does  not  wish  to  bring  peo- 
ple here  only  to  disappoint  them.  We  want  everybody  to 
know  the  facts  and  prefer  to  under-state  rather  than  to 
over-state. 


64 


OREGON  FARMER 


WIDE  VARIATION  OF  RAINFALL. 

In  the  thickly  populated  interior  valleys  of  Western  Oregon,  the  precipitation  is  about 
the  same  as  in  the  Atlantic  and  Central  states  (New  York,  44.8;  Chicago,  33.4;  Des 
Moines,  32.4). 

In  Eastern  and  Central  Oregon  the  rainfall  is  about  the  same  as  in  Colorado,  Montana, 
Utah,  Western  Texas  and  the  Coast  counties  of  Southern  California.  (Denver,  13.7;  Salt 
Lake  City,  15.8). 


OREGON  FARMER  65 

THE  CLIMATE  OF  OREGON. 

BY  W.  L.  POWERS, 
Assistant  Professor  of  Irrigation  and  drainage. 

'MONG  the  factors  influencing  the  agriculture  and  healthfulness 
of  a  state  none  is  more  important  than  climate.  The  determining 
factors  of  a  climate  in  Oregon  are  chiefly  the  altitude,  nearness  to 

the  ocean,  prevailing  winds,  and  movements  of  general  storm  areas. 

The  wide  variations  of  these   conditions  in  Oregon  cause  a  great 

diversity  of  climate  and  makes  possible  the  production  of  practically 

everything  grown  outside  the  tropics. 

General  Topographic  and  Climatic  Conditions. 

The  chief  topographic  features  of  the  state  are  portrayed  by  the 
accompanying  rainfall  chart  of  the  Weather  Bureau,  page  64,  and 
the  topographic  map,  which  we  are  permitted  to  reproduce 
thru  the  courtesy  of  our  District  Forecaster,  E.  A.  Beals,  of  Portland 
(Enclosed).  The  natural  drainage  for  most  parts  of  the  state  is 
northerly  into  the  Columbia  or  else  westward  into  the  ocean.  The 
lofty  snowcapped  Cascade  Range,  5,000  to  10,000  feet  in  elevation 
divides  the  state  north  and  south  and  serves  as  a  natural  barrier  in 
winter  between  the  warm  air  of  the  western  valleys  and  the  cool  air 
of  the  plateaus  to  the  east.  East  of  this  range  the  climate  is  con- 
tinental in  character  and  is  semi-arid  with  large  daily  range  of  tem- 
perature, cool  nights  and  a  preponderance  of  clear  days.  The  climate 
of  Western  Oregon  is  characterized  by  its  mild  moist  winter  season 
and  bright  mild  summers  with  a  remarkably  long  growing  season. 
The  Cascade  and  Coast  Ranges  cause  heavy  precipitation  in  winter 
from  the  moist  winds  and  storm  areas  which  blow  prevailingly  from 
the  southwest  off  of  the  ocean. 

The  mean  annual  rainfall  from  stations  of  the  United  States 
Weather  Bureau  with  records  over  10  years  in  length  is  shown  on  the 
topographic  map.  In  general  the  rainfall  decreases  from  northwest 
to  southeast  across  the  state  and  increases  on  the  windward  slopes 
of  all  mountains.  The  range  is  from  132  inches  at  Glenora  on  the 
coast  mountains  in  the  northwest  part  of  the  state  to  10  inches  at 
Vale  in  Malheur,  the  southeastern  county.  The  mean  rainfall  of  the 
valleys  in  Western  Oregon  is  similar  to  that  of  New  York;  while 
that  of  Eastern  Oregon  is  about  the  same  as  Denver  and  Boise. 

The  main  distinguishing  feature  of  the  temperature  of  the  state  is 
the  cool  nights  of  summer  which  insures  complete  rest  after  hard 
labor.  The  mean  temperature  varies  with  altitude  and  distance 
inland.  In  the  agricultural  valleys  in  Western  Oregon  and  below 
2,000  feet  elevation  the  mean  temperature  is  about  52  degrees,  which 
is  the  same  as  at  Bloomington,  111.,  and  Columbus,  Ohio.  The  mean 
temperature  of  Eastern  Oregon  ranges  from  56  degrees  along  the 
Columbia  to  44  degrees  in  Southeastern  Oregon. 

Most  parts  of  the  state  are  free  from  high  winds.  The  absolute  max- 
imum velocity  recorded  is  55  miles  per  hour.  The  heavy  winter 
rainfall  of  western  sections  of  the  state  is  well  distributed,  the  greater 


66 


OREGON  FARMER 


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OREGON  FARMER  67 

part  falling  at  night,  so  that  disastrous  floods  are  practically  unknown. 
The  weather  records  show  but  one  severe  wind,  and  few  injurious 
hail-storms,  which  were  of  a  local  character.  The  state  is  free  from 
tornadoes,  earthquakes  and  electric  storms. 

The  yearly  average  number  of  thunder  storms  is  8  for  Eastern  Oregon 
and  3  for  Western  Oregon.  They  usually  consist  of  but  two  or  three 
flashes  and  are  observed  in  mountainous  districts.  Data  in  the 
accompanying  table  is  arranged  to  show  the  average  and  range  of 
climatic  conditions  for  the  6  chief  sections  of  the  state  (page  66). 

The  Coast  Region. 

The  Coast  Range  has  an  average  altitude  of  2,000  feet  and  parallels 
the  sea  at  a  distance  of  30  to  40  miles  separating  the  humid  coast 
region  from  the  semi-humid  valleys  to  the  east.  The  agricultural 
districts  of  the  coastal  plain  vary  in  elevation  from  near  sea  level  to 
1,500-2,000  feet.  The  annual  rainfall  averages  some  77  inches  and 
varies  with  altitude. 

It  reaches  a  maximum  at  Glenora  of  132  inches  and  a  secondary 
maximum  of  83  inches  in  the  southwest  coast  hills.  There  is  a  high 
relative  humidity  and  fogs  are  frequent  and  the  grass  is  green  through- 
out the  year.  The  chief  characteristics  of  the  climate  is  the  strikingly 
uniform  temperature  which  permits  a  remarkably  long  growing 
season,  averaging  265  days,  or  about  8  months.  The  season  is  longest 
near  the  shore  and  decreases  with  altitude.  The  temperature  along 
the  coast  has  never  h>een  higher  than  97  degrees  or  lower  than  10 
degrees  above  zero.  The  mean  July  temperature,  65  degrees,  is 
about  the  same  as  at  Duluth,  Toronto  and  Montpelier.  The  mean 
January  temperature,  40  degrees,  is  the  same  as  that  of  Vicksburg  and 
Montgomery.  There  is  no  snow  except  on  the  hills  and  that  goes  off 
in  a  day  or  two  except  on  the  highest  peaks. 

The  Willamette  Valley. 

Between  the  Coast  and  Cascade  Ranges  lies  the  great  valley  of 
the  Willamette  which  flows  north  emptying  into  the  Columbia  near 
Portland  and  has  a  drainage  area  of  12,000  square  miles.  The  mean 
elevation  of  the  floor  of  this  valley  is  about  200  feet,  ranging  from  57 
feet  at  Portland  to  450  feet  at  Eugene.  Rainfall  averages  about  42 
inches,  similar  to  that  of  Springfield,  Missouri,  and  Indianapolis, 
Indiana.  Rainfall  decreases  slightly  as  we  go  up  the  floor  of  the 
valley  and  increases  rapidly  going  up  the  mountain  slopes  to  the  east. 
The  winter  rain  is  of  sufficient  abundance  to  more  than  saturate  the 
deep  soil.  There  is  a  few  inches  of  snow  some  winters  but  it  melts 
away  in  a  day  or  two.  The  growing  season  is  remarkably  long, 
averaging  210  days.  The  minimum  January  temperature  is  similar 
to  that  of  Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  Lynchburg,  Va.,  or  New  Haven,  Conn. 
The  absolute  range  of  mean  temperatue  for  July  is  8  degrees,  while  for 
Iowa  this  is  13  degrees.  The  average  annual  number  of  days  above 
90  degrees  is  8  and  below  32  degrees  is  15.  There  is  about  the  same 
percentage  of  sunshine  as  in  New  York  state.  The  climate  is  moist 


68  OREGON  FARMER 

and  mild  in  winter  and  cool  in  summer,  but  is  a  little  more  seasonal 
than  on  the  coast. 

Southern  Oregon. 

Irregular  offshoots  and  spurs  of  the  Coast  and  Cascade  Ranges 
spread  out  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state,  forming  a  more 
elevated  undulating  section  with  somewhat  less  humid  and^more 
sunny  climate.  The  rainfall  averages  about  30  inches  and  runs  from 
35  at  Roseburg  to  21  at  Ashland.  About  2  inches  falls  during  the 
three  summer  months.  There  is  an  average  of  about  185  days  between 
killing  frosts,  being  similar  to  that  of  Central  Illinois.  The  length  of 
season  depends  on  the  altitude  and  the  natural  air  drainage,  and 
ranges  from  150  to  200  days.  The  mean  temperature  for  January 
is  about  40  degrees  and  for  July  about  60  degrees.  There  are  16 
days  in  a  year  when  the  temperature  rises  above  90  degrees  and  50 
days  when  if  falls  below  32  degrees.  The  climate  is  somewhat  more 
seasonal  than  for  the  Willamette  Valley  but  it  is  free  from  extremes 
of  any  kind.  The  winters  here  are  mild  and  the  summer  nights  cool. 

Columbia  Basin. 

East  of  the  Cascades  is  the  Columbia  River  Basin,  50  to  75  miles 
wide  and  about  150  miles  long.  It  has  a  mean  elevation  of  about 
1,000  feet  and  a  general  northernly  dip  towards  the  river.  Here  the 
climate  is  dry  and  sunny.  The  relative  humidity  is  low  and  evapora- 
tion from  a  water  surface  is  high.  The  annual  rainfall  for  the  district 
averages  some  14  inches  ranging  from  about  10  inches  near  the  river  on 
the  Umatilla  irrigation  pro  j  ect  to  24  inches  at  Weston.  Rainfall  increases 
with  altitude  and  distance  from  the  river.  While  the  heaviest  rains 
are  in  winter  there  is  a  secondary  maximum  in  May  and  June. 
In  the  foothill  districts  these  early  summer  rains  come  as  torrential 
showers.  The  mean  annual  temperature  near  the  river  reaches  56 
degrees,  the  highest  for  the  state.  It  decreases  with  altitude  to  47 
degrees  in  the  foothills  of  the  Blue  Mountains.  There  is  a  very  long 
growing  season  along  the  Columbia,  averaging  about  200  days.  The 
average  for  the  district  is  about  157  days,  corresponding  to  that  of 
southern  Wisconsin.  Strong  breezes  are  common  along  the  river  but 
decrease  upon  going  back  from  the  river  and  to  higher  altitudes.  The 
nights  are  cool,  the  days  clear  and  the  air  fresh  and  invigorating. 
Blue  Mountain  District. 

In  Northeastern  Oregon  is  situated  the  high  irregular  range  of  the 
Blue  Mountains,  between  the  various  groups  of  which  very  productive 
elevated  valleys  are  situated.  These  and  the  other  scattering 
mountains  of  Eastern  Oregon  cause  precipitation  of  the  limited  supply 
of  moisture  which  escapes  the  Coast  and  Cascade  Ranges.  The 
rainfall  ranges  from  12  to  23  inches  and  averages  about  16  inches 
annually  The  growing  season  ranges  from  100  to  150  days,  averaging 
about  140  days  in  the  valleys  and  decreasing  with  the  altitude.  There 
are  many  sheltered  valleys  where  the  season  permits  commercial 
fruit  growing.  The  mean  summer  temperature  corresponds  to 
central  Wisconsin  and  that  of  winter  is  similar  to  northern  Iowa. 


OREGON  FARMER 


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70  OREGON  FARMER 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  48  degrees.  The  temperature 
rises  above  90  degrees  about  12  different  days  in  the  year  and  reaches 
the  freezing  point  on  about  150  days.  There  is  more  rainfall  and  less 
sunshine  than  in  the  Columbia  Basin  but  the  temperatures  average 
lower  at  the  higher  altitudes  and  are  subject  to  greater  range. 

Central  Oregon. 

The  Central  Oregon  country  is  mainly  a  great  elevated  plain  with 
an  average  altitude  of  about  4,000  feet.  The  summer  nights  are 
cool,  the  rainfall  is  low  and  the  sunshine  abundant.  The  air  is  fine 
and  the  climate  corrective  to  tuberculosis  tendencies  and  more 
invigorating  than  the  hot  semi-arid  sections  of  the  southwestern 
states.  On  these  plains  the  growing  season  is  from  65  to  135  days 
and  the  rainfall  11  to  14  inches.  In  the  interior  part  of  this  region 
are  numerous  lakes  without  any  natural  outlet  and  these  modify  the 
temperatures  of  the  immediately  adjacent  lands,  so  that  fruit  is 
produced  in  favored  spots. 

The  northern  edge  of  the  region  is  drained  by  the  Deschutes  River. 
This  valley  averages  about  3,000  feet  in  elevation  and  has  a  growing 
season  of  ten  weeks  to  four  months  and  a  rainfall  of  about  12  inches 
in  the  floor  of  the  valley.  Rainfall  increases  up  stream  and  up  the 
foothills  at  the  sides  of  the  valley.  Large  areas  are  irrigated. 

The  lower  irrigated  valley  and  bench  lands  of  northern  Malheur 
County  have  a  mean  elevation  of  about  2,200  feet  and  this  together 
with  their  favorable  latitude  causes  a  growing  season  of  five  to  six 
months,  so  the  data  in  the  table  does  not  apply.  The  rainfall  is  about 
10  inches. 

In  the  southwestern  part  of  this  region  the  Lake  district  has  an 
altitude  of  about  4,100  feet.  At  Lakeview  and  Klamath  Falls  the 
growing  season  is  some  130  days.  The  rainfall  at  Klamath  Falls  is 
13.5  inches,  17  inches  at  Lakeview  and  11  inches  at  Burns.  Large 
areas  tributary  to  these  points  are  irrigated. 

The  Chief  Districts  Compared. 

The  mean  monthly  and  yearly  temperatures  from  selected  stations 
of  the  Weather  Bureau  in  each  of  the  chief  geographic  sections  of  the 
state  are  compared  graphically  in  the  accompanying  diagram  (Page 
69).  The  bars  show  an  increase  in  range  of  temperature  as  we  go  to 
the  south  and  east  to  higher  altitudes  and  to  regions  more  distant 
from  the  ocean. 

The  lower  bars  show  the  relative  amount  and  distribution  of  rain- 
fall for  the  same  stations.  The  rainfall  for  La  Grande  is  about  2 . 2 
inches  below  average  for  the  district  and  is  misleading  in  that  the 
average  rainfall  for  the  Blue  Mountain  district  is  about  2  inches 
above  that  of  the  Columbia  Basin.  In  the  western  sections  of  the 
state  the  bulk  of  the  rainfall  comes  between  October  and  March  and 
there  is  but  light  rainfall  in  summer,  caused  by  the  shifting  of  the 
storm  areas  and  areas  of  high  pressure  or  clear  weather.  In  Eastern 
Oregon  the  maximum  rainfall  is  in  winter  with  a  secondary  maximum 
as  shown  for  May  and  June. 


OREGON  FARMER 


71 


FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES  IN  OREGON. 

By  C.  I.  LEWIS, 
Professor  of  Horticulture. 

PRTICULTURALLY  speaking,  Oregon  is  a  state  of  great 
diversity.  Apples,  pears,  prunes,  walnuts,  Loganberries,  small 
fruits,  and  garden  truck  are  grown  in  great  abundance.  While 
it  is  true  that  the  apple  has  been  advertised  more  than  any 
other  fruit  in  the  state,  nevertheless  according  to  the  latest  census, 
the  apple  is  surpassed  in  increased  production  during  the  last  decade 
by  the  pear,  prune,  and  cherry. 

From  the  earliest  plantings  to  the  present  time,  the  fruit  of  this 
state  has  attracted  world-wide  attention  and  the  industry  has  grown 
in  magnitude  and  profit  until  it  is  now  becoming  one  of  considerable 
importance,  and  in  a  few  years  fruit  promises  to  become  one  of  the 
leading  outputs  of  the  state.  The  development  of  the  fruit  industry 
in  this  state  is  due  to  a  genial  combination  of  climate  and  soil  con- 
ditions which  insure  regular  heavy  crops  containing  a  large  percentage 
of  fruit  of  high  color,  good  size,  and  free  from  blemish.  Such  fruit 
is  commanding  the  top  prices  in  the  world's  markets. 

Co-operation  is  a  great  factor  in  Oregon  fruit  production.  Probably 
no  region  in  the  United  States  has  had  a  more  successful  demonstra- 
tion of  the  possibilities  of  co-operation  in  fruit  production.  The 
opportunity  for  co-operation,  coupled  with  the  general  personnel 
of  those  engaged  in  fruit  growing,  are  very  important  factors  in  the 
development  of  horticulture  in  this  state.  In  addition  to  this  the 
fact  that  horticulture  has  become  highly  specialized  has  given  a  com- 
bination of  producing  and  handling  that  is  hard  to  excel. 


FRUIT— STATE  AVERAGE  1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Apples 

364 

1  658 

256  690  bxs 

155  bxs 

$1  62 

$241  10 

Pears  

91 

380 

85  351  bxs 

224  bxs 

1  17 

262  08 

T>            /Green... 

129  33 

Prunes  (D 

187 

1  778J 

3  967  823  Ibs 

2  231  Ibs 

041 

91  47 

Cherries.  

116 

91i 

464,610  Ibs. 

5,092  Ibs. 

045 

229  14 

Apricots  

2 

2 

300  bxs 

150  bxs 

1  00 

150  00 

Strawberries  

82 

126| 

17,381  crts. 

136  crts. 

1  85 

251  60 

Peaches  .... 

103 

4091 

116  743  bxs 

254  bxs 

734 

186  44 

Grapes  

23 

95 

283  93 

Raspberries 

31 

16 

47  175  Ibs 

2  947  Ibs 

05 

247  35 

Blackberries  

7 

7 

1,078  crts. 

168  crts 

1  64 

275  52 

Dewberries. 

3 

4 

457  crts 

114  crts 

2  00 

228  00 

Gooseberries  

5 

H 

378  80 

Loganberries 

2 

83? 

164J  T 

2  T 

82  45 

164  90 

The  Oregon  apple  is  known  the  world  over.  Especially  is  this 
true  with  such  varieties  as  the  Yellow  Newtown,  and  Esopus  Spitzen- 
berg.  Other  varieties,  such  as  Arkansas  Black,  Winter  Banana, 
Delicious,  Rome  Beauty,  Jonathan,  Winesap,  and  Gravenstein,  are 


72  OREGON  FARMER 

grown  commercially.  Nearly  every  fruit  valley  of  the  state  is 
producing  apples,  it  being  merely  a  question  of  securing  a  good  loca- 
tion and  adopting  the  proper  varieties.  There  are  only  a  relatively 
small  percentage  of  the  apple  trees  in  the  state  in  bearing  and  the 
next  decade  promises  a  remarkable  increase  in  bearing  trees  and  in 
the  apple  output. 

In  pear  production  Oregon  stands  fourth  in  the  Union  in  yield  and 
second  in  number  of  young  trees.  It  is  only  a  question  of  a  short  time 
before  this  state  will  probably  lead  the  Union  in  the  production  of 
this  fruit.  The  state  is  peculiarly  fortunate  in  having  a  considerable 
area  of  land  coupled  with  favorable  climatic  conditions,  making  it 
possible  to  grow  this  fruit.  In  most  regions  of  the  country  pear 
growing  is  on  the  decline  and  those  regions  therefore  which  are 
specially  adapted  to  the  production  of  this  fruit  are  finding  it  to  be 
very  profitable.  Up  to  the  present  time  a  large  proportion  of  the 
crop  has  been  boxed  and  sent  to  the  leading  markets  in  this  country 
and  in  Europe.  The  next  decade  will  see  considerable  development 
in  the  growing  of  pears  for  canning. 

Seventy-five  per  cent  of  the  tart  prunes  that  are  grown  in  the 
United  States  are  produced  in  Oregon,  the  Italian  being  the  leading 
variety.  Some  of  this  fruit  is  shipped  green  to  eastern  markets,  but 
the  larger  percentage  is  evaporated  and  sent  to  those  portions  of 
the  world  that  prefer  a  tart  to  a  sweet  prune.  With  a  closer  organiza- 
tion of  growers  and  a  standardization  of  product,  both  of  which  are 
being  attempted,  the  prune  industry  should  in  the  near  future  develop 
even  greater  than  it  has  in  the  past.  This  is  one  of  the  easiest  tree 
fruits  to  grow  and  one  which  adapts  itself  nicely  to  diversified  farming, 
the  prune  being  on  many  an  Oregon  farm  the  best  cash  crop  produced. 
It  also  lends  itself  nicely  to  diversified  horticulture,  while  on  the 
other  hand  some  sections  of  the  state  are  making  prunes  the  special 
crop. 

Only  two  or  three  states  in  the  entire  Union  are  building  up  a 
sweet  cherry  industry.  As  regards  the  excellence  of  the  sweet  cherry 
produced  in  Oregon,  it  is  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  region  in  the 
United  States.  The  Bing  in  Eastern  Oregon,  the  Napoleon  (Royal 
Anne)  along  the  Columbia  Basin,  and  the  Lambert  in  Western 
Oregon,  grow  to  perfection.  These  cherries  grow  to  a  very  large  size, 
have  firm  flesh,  and  small  pit,  and  have  been  shipped  to  Mexico  City, 
Liverpool,  and  Alaska  successfully. 

The  sour,  or  pie,  cherry  industry  as  yet  has  not  developed  very 
materially  in  this  state,  but  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  short  time  before 
the  industry  will  be  of  considerable  importance.  The  fruit  grows 
very  easily  in  practically  all  fruit  districts  of  the  state  and  canning 
factories  are  demanding  much  larger  quantities  of  this  fruit  than  can 
be  supplied. 

In  the  Loganberry  we  practically  have  a  new  fruit.  This  is  a  cross 
between  the  blackberry  and  raspberry.  Canned  it  is  most  excellent, 
being  splendid  for  pies  and  sauces,  makes  a  fine  jelly,  and  its  juice  by 


OREGON  FARMER  73 

many  people  is  thought  to  be  superior  to  that  of  the  grape.  This 
berry  is  adapted  to  only  a  few  Pacific  Coast  localities,  andjn  Western 
Oregon  reaches  its  highest  degree  of  perfection.  This  berry  the  past 
few  years  has  proved  to  be  one  of  the  most  profitable  crops  grown  in 
the  entire  state  of  Oregon.  With  proper  organization  of  growers  and 
distribution  it  will  mean  millions  annually  to  the  state.  It  is  a  crop 
which  can  be  combined  very  nicely  with  prune  production,  as  it  can 
be  easily  evaporated  in  the  same  buildings  that  are  used  for  the  drying 
of  prunes.  Some  men  are  specializing  in  Loganberries  entirely,  but 
the  crop  is  one  which  lends  itself  to  diversified  farming  very  nicely. 

English  walnuts  and  filberts  are  being  planted  quite  extensively 
throughout  the  state.  The  French  strains  of  the  walnut,  like  the 
Franquette,  Mayette,  and  Meylan  are  the  favorites  at  the  present 
time  and  the  industry  promises  to  become  much  larger  in  Western 
Oregon.  While  at  present  the  output  is  small,  in  the  near  future  it 
will  be  materially  increased,  as  a  large  acreage  of  young  trees  is  just 
coming  into  bearing.  Oregon  walnuts  are  noted  for  superiority  in 
flavor,  and  those  so  far  produced  have  brought  much  above  average 
prices  on  the  nut  markets. 

Peaches  are  grown  largely  as  fillers,  there  being  only  a  few  sections 
where  this  fruit  is  grown  as  a  specialized  crop.  While  shipments 
have  been  made  to  Mississippi  River  points,  the  bulk  of  the  crop  is 
grown  largely  for  local  consumption  or  for  canning. 

In  the  production  of  cane  fruits  the  state  is  unexcelled.  Red 
raspberries  yield  regular  heavy  crops,  as  high  as  600  crates  per  acre 
being  reported.  Blackberries,  gooseberries,  currants,  and  straw- 
berries are  all  grown  readily  and  cheaply.  Strawberries  and  rasp- 
berries are  shipped  from  Pacific  Coast  points  as  far  east  as  Chicago. 

Other  fruits,  such  as  almonds  and  apricots,  are  grown  in  limited 
quantities,  and  those  interested  in  them  can  find  regions  specially 
suited  for  their  successful  production. 

The  by-products  industry  is  one  which  promises  in  the  very  near 
future  to  reach  a  considerable  magnitude.  Thus  far  the  development 
has  been  largely  in  Western  Oregon  in  such  cities  as  Eugene,  Cor- 
vallis,  Salem,  Portland,  and  vicinity.  In  the  cherry  districts  there  is 
a  very  heavy  demand  for  Napoleon  (Royal  Anne)  cherries  for  Maras- 
chino. Many  of  the  canneries  in  the  state  are  co-operative.  The 
great  diversity  of  crops,  the  abundance  and  ease  with  which  they  can 
be  produced,  combined  with  the  co-operative  plan,  whereby  the 
producers  share  all  the  profits,  gives  very  satisfactory  results,  and 
extensive  plantings  are  taking  place  wherever  the  canneries  and  by- 
products plants  are  being  established. 

In  dried  fruits,  especially  the  prune,  the  state  has  built  up  a  very 
strong  industry.  Apples,  pears,  and  peaches  are  being  dried  in 
limited  quantities. 


74 


OREGON  FARMER 
VEGETABLES— STATE  AVERAGE  1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
PerAcre. 

Melons  
Onions  
Cabbage.. 

27 
65 
37 

85* 
137 
27f 

12,910  crts. 
40,017  sks. 
270  tons 

151  crts. 
292  sks. 
9  7  tons 

$1.67 
1.94 
31  73 

$252.17 
566.48 
307  78 

Tomatoes  
Beans  .    . 

28 
41 

1H 
68 

9,286  bxs. 
63  967  Ibs 

807  bxs. 
940  6  Ibs 

.57 
044 

459.99 
413  86 

Celery  

g 

118 

17,900  dz.bun 

1,512  dz.bun 

.63 

952.56 

Horse  Radish  
Rhubarb  
Peas  
Asparagus 

1 
11 
6 
13 

16 
9i 
9* 

48  tons. 
208,000  Ibs. 
21,492  Ibs. 
29  057  Ibs 

3  tons. 
22,486  Ibs. 
2,262  Ibs. 
8  940  Ibs 

140.00 
.024 
.043 
055 

420.00 
539.66 
97.26 
491  70 

Squash 

20 

41 

75  000  Ibs 

15  284  Ibs 

093 

46  15 

.Turnips  

1 

2 

250  sks 

125  sks 

1  00 

125  00 

Cucumbers  
Cauliflower  . 

7 
2 

1 
1 

173  bu. 
175  crts 

173  bu. 
175  crts 

1.41 
1  35 

243.93 
236.25 

Parsnips 

5 

I 

14  100  Ibs 

16  114  Ibs 

015 

241  71 

Peppers  

2 

} 

203  crts 

271  crts 

60 

163.90 

Egg  Plant  

2 

.62 

200  crts. 

322.6  crts. 

1.00 

322.60 

Note:— Some  of  the  yields  are  a  little  high  owing  to  the  fact  that  many  patches  were  small  and 
given  extra  good  care. 

In  some  cases  prices  are  above  the  average  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  produce  was  disposed  of 
locally  to  good  advantage. 

Truck  gardening  has  not  been  developed  to  the  same  extent  as 
has  fruit  growing.  In  the  production  of  onions,  however,  the  state 
surpasses,  and  most  years  this  industry  is  found  to  be  very  profitable. 
Most  of  the  onions  are  produced  on  what  is  known  as  the  beaverdam 
lands,  which  abound  in  Western  Oregon.  Broccoli,  or  winter  cauli- 
flower, grows  exceedingly  well  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  a  short  time 
before  the  state  should  ship  out  a  large  amount  of  this  vegetable. 
The  opening  of  the  Panama  Canal  should  make  it  possible  to  place 
vegetables  in  eastern  cities  in  good  condition  at  low  costs.  While 
the  markets  are  fairly  well  supplied  with  rather  low  grade  vegetables, 
there  is  a  splendid  opportunity  in  the  state  for  the  production  of 
high  class  vegetabes. 

There  are  at  the  present  time  relatively  few  truck  gardeners 
who  have  made  this  subject  a  specialty.  Only  occasionally  does  one 
meet  the  intensive  growers  found  in  the  environments  of  large  eastern 
cities. 

The  greenhouse  business  has  grown  very  rapidly  the  last  few 
years  and  offers  a  most  attractive  field  of  investment  for  people  who 
have  been  trained  in  this  line  of  work.  All  over  Western  and  Southern 
Oregon,  especially  where  the  centers  of  population  are  increasing 
rapidly,  there  is  a  brisk  demand  for  greenhouse  products.  The 
business  is  twofold,  flowers  such  as  the  carnation  and  chrysanthemum 
on  the  one  hand,  and  vegetables  such  as  tomatoes  and  cucumbers 
on  the  other  hand.  For  the  latter  there  is  a  very  strong  demand, 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  climatic  conditions  are  such  in  many 
portions  of  the  state  that  there  is  a  good  profit  in  growing  tomatoes 
under  glass,  much  more  so  than  when  grown  outside.  In  most 
parts  of  the  state  the  climatic  conditions  are  so  mild  that  greenhouse 
production  is  cheaper  than  in  most  eastern  states.  There  are  a 
number  of  cases  in  the  state  where  men  with  a  capital  of  $600  to 


OREGON  FARMER  75 

$2,000  have  built  up  an  industry  which  is  making  them  independent. 

The  nursery  business  during  the  past  few  years  has  assumed 
enormous  proportions.  One  of  the  largest  nurseries  in  the  United 
States  is  located  in  this  state.  The  diversity  of  horticulture  has  made 
the  nursery  business  a  good  one,  there  being  a  demand  for  many 
kinds  of  fruit  and  ornamental  trees  and  plants.  The  reputation  of 
the  state  for  fruit  production  has  induced  many  people  in  various 
parts  of  the  United  States  to  patronize  Oregon  nurseries  for  their 
stock.  (In  Eastern  Oregon,  under  irrigated  conditions,  piece  root 
trees  are  grown  very  successfully,  while  in  Western  Oregon,  the  whole 
root  or  budded  trees  grow  to  better  advantage.) 

The  prospective  settler  is  always  interested  in  the  prices  of  fruit 
lands,  and  it  is  generally  believed  by  many  that  it  is  impossible  to 
buy  cheap  lands  in  Oregon.  It  is  true  that  in  some  sections  of  this 
state  land  has  probably  been  sold  for  prices  that  were  unwarranted. 
However,  orchards  which  have  been  well  selected  and  properly  cared 
for  are  producing  good  interest  on  a  valuation  of  $1,000  per  acre,  and 
some  on  an  even  greater  valuation.  The  price  of  land  is  fixed  by 
many  factors,  such  as  transportation,  nearness  to  rapidly  growing 
centers,  the  size  of  the  area  that  is  being  planted  to  fruit,  all  have  a 
bearing  on  the  price. 

In  regions  where  horticulture  has  become  highly  specialized  the 
prospective  settler  must  naturally  expect  to  pay  more  for  land  than 
in  those  localities  where  less  development  has  taken  place.  However, 
it  is  not  necessarily  true  that  the  cheaper  lands  are  the  best  to  buy. 
There  is  to  be  found  in  this  state  today,  an  abundance  of  splendid 
fruit  land  for  sale  for  less  than  $100  per  acre.  In  fact,  large  areas 
can  still  be  purchased  for  as  low  as  $50  per  acre.  The  region  in  which 
one  will  wish  to  purchase  will  depend  first  of  all  on  the  choice  of  an 
irrigated  or  non-irrigated  tract,  climatic  preference,  or  the  greatness 
of  the  desire  to  be  near  magnificient  scenery. 

Failure  in  the  fruit  business  is  not  unknown.  Such  failures  as 
occur  are  due  to  such  factors  as  improper  choice  of  orchard  site,  the 
adoption  of  questionable  horticultural  methods,  the  planting  of 
unsuitable  varieties,  and  the  use  of  poor  business  judgment.  Where 
suitable  locations  are  chosen,  proper  orchard  methods  employed,  and 
sound  business  methods  practiced,  fruit  growing  is  found  to  be 
a  very  profitable  business. 

Many  prospective  fruit  growers  contemplate  buying  too  small 
holdings.  It  is  true  that  under  proper  conditions  the  small  tract  of 
say  ten  acres  is  found  to  be  very  satisfactory.  This  is  true  in  those 
regions  of  good  soil  where  irrigation  can  be  obtained  to  supplement  the 
rainfall,  or  on  the  non-irrigated  river  bottom  soil,  which  is  alluvial 
and  somewhat  sandy  in  na:ure,  and  has  a  wide  range  of  adaptability. 
Under  such  conditions  ten  acres  can  be  made  to  produce  a  relatively 
large  income.  To  the  average  man,  of  limited  means,  it  will  be  better 
to  try  and  secure  a  larger  acreage.^ Forty  acres  in  many  cases  will  be 
a  desirable  tract  to  purchase,  this  being  approximately  about  a  one- 
team  unit.  That  is,  one  man  and  a  pair  of  horses  could  do  the  greater 


76  OREGON  FARMER 

part  of  the  work  from  early  spring  to  early  August,  this  being  the  rush 
season.  The  first  few  years  a  portion  of  the  land  can  be  set  to  tree 
fruits,  and  an  area  reserved  for  vegetable  gardening  and  small  fruits. 
Chickens,  hogs,  and  the  family  cow  can  be  used  in  this  combination 
to  very  good  advantage.  After  the  entire  acreage  has  been  planted 
and  has  come  into  bearing,  twenty  acres  could  be  disposed  of  and  the 
capital  thus  secured  invested  in  better  buildings  and  needed  improve- 
ments. 

When  the  settler  starts  in  this  way  he  is  assured  of  a  good  living, 
a  steady  income,  and  a  rapid  increase  in  value  of  the  land  in  which 
he  has  invested  and  which  ultimately  will  become  a  unit  which  should 
insure  success.  Where  feasible  it  will  be  well  to  grow  more  than  one 
type  of  fruit,  though,  in  some  regions  soil  and  climatic  conditions 
are  more  favorable  to  the  production  of  a  relatively  few  varieties. 

Irrigation  is  a  factor  in  fruit  production  in  the  state  of  Oregon. 
In  such  regions  as  the  Umatilla  Project,  including  Hermiston  and 
Stanfield,  and  in  parts  of  Eastern  Oregon,  irrigation  becomes  a 
necessity  where  commercial  fruit  growing  is  to  be  undertaken.  On 
the  other  hand  in  most  of  the  fruit  valleys,  such  as  the  Grande  Ronde, 
Walla  Walla,  Hood  River,  and  Rogue  River,  irrigation  is  used  to 
supplement  the  rainfall  and  in  these  regions  many  orchards  have 
never  been  irrigated.  Fruit  growing  can  be  undertaken  successfully 
in  such  regions  without  irrigation  provided  good  soil  is  chosen  and 
proper  cultural  methods  are  adopted.  In  many  cases,  however, 
supplemental  irrigation  will  be  found  to  be  of  great  help. 

The  question  of  varieties  to  plant  is  largely  a  local  one  There 
is  not  a  fruit  valley  in  this  state  but  what  can  produce  fruit  to  a  high 
degree  of  perfection.  Choose  good  soil,  put  into  play  up-to-date 
methods,  and  choose  the  varieties  which  are  succeeding  the  best  in 
your  locality,  should  be  the  rule  to  follow.  The  Experiment  Station 
issues,  from  time  to  time,  lists  of  varieties  which  are  recommended 
for  various  parts  of  the  state. 

In  no  region  of  the  world  is  horticulture  becoming  more  specialized 
and  intensified  than  in  the  state  of  Oregon.  Every  effort  is  made  by 
the  growers  to  apply  the  most  up-to-date  and  improved  methods. 
The  most  common  method  used  in  handling  the  soils  of  the  orchards 
is  that  of  clean  tillage.  Nearly  all  the  orchards  are  plowed  and  har- 
rowed carefully  each  year  and  are  cultivated  at  such  frequent  intervals 
as  to  prevent  the  ground  baking,  the  escape  of  moisture  or  growth  of 
weeds.  The  amount  of  tillage  varies  in  the  different  localities,  and 
is  controlled  by  such  factors  as,  climate,  soil,  variety  of  fruit,  and  age 
octree. 

K  Cover  crops  are  used  very  extensively  in  bearing  orchards  in  non- 
irrigated  districts,  while  in  the  irrigated  districts  either  cover  crops 
are  grown,  or  else  orchards  are  permanently  seeded  to  clover,  alfalfa 
and  similar  crops.  This  system  is  adapted  only  to  regions  where 
they~are"supplied;with  irrigation  'water.  -j  ^ 

Spraying  is  a  universal  practice  andjiearly  every  orchard  is*provided 
with  a  power  sprayer,*and  the  orchard  is  given  a  regular,  systematic 


OREGON  FARMER  77 

series  of  sprayings.  Many  pests,  however,  that  are  common  in  the 
east  are  not  found  in  Oregon,  such  as  the  plum  curculio,  for  example, 
which  makes  it  so  difficult  in  some  sections  of  the  United  States  to 
produce  stone  fruits. 

The  thinning  of  tree  fruit  is  a  universal  practice.  With  apples, 
pears  and  peaches,  thinning  is  done  by  hand,  while  with  cherries 
and  prunes  most  of  the  thinning  is  done  by  pruning. 

Oregon  was  the  first  state  in  the  Union  to  perfect  the  box  system 
of  packing,  and  its  system  of  grading  and  packing  is  now  recognized 
as  the  best  in  the  world  and  is  being  copied  to  a  certain  extent  by 
many  other  fruit  growing  regions. 

A  recent  development  in  fruit  production  in  this  state  is  the 
erection  of  large  cold  storage  houses.  These  will  enable  the  fruit 
growers  to  hold  their  crops  until  such  times  as  they  can  dispose  of 
them  on  the  market  to  the  best  advantage.  Up  to  the  present  time 
the  state  has  been  very  fortunate  in  meeting  with  very  hearty  co- 
operation on  the  part  of  all  transportation  companies  in  the  way  of 
rates,  storage  in  transit  facilities,  icing  facilities,  and  in  rolling  stock. 

Those  who  love  attractive  home  surroundings  will  find  Oregon  an 
ideal  location.  In  the  greater  part  of  the  state  the  climatic  conditions 
are  such  as  to  insure  the  successful  culture  of  a  wide  range  of  plants. 
Not  only  is  the  state  rich  in  beautiful  native  trees,  shrubs  and  flowers, 
but  practically  everything  grown  in  the  temperate  zone  will  succeed 
here.  This  wealth  of  material  offers  superb  combinations  of  plants 
that  give  a  pleasing  landscape  picture.  This  coupled  with  a  magnifi- 
cent view  through  a  vista  of  tall  fir  trees  of  perpetual  snow-capped 
peaks,  tinted  rose  by  the  setting  sun,  appeals  to  all  lovers  of  the 
beautiful  in  nature.  Rare  sunset  effects  are  found  in  our  beautiful 
foothills;  combinations  of  shades  of  green,  blue,  purple,  and  rose  such 
as  are  indescribable  are  seen  daily. 

DISTRICT  REPORTS. 

Coast  Division. 

The  Coast  Division  has  not  been  developed  horticulturally  as  much 
as  some  other  districts  in  the  state  However,  there  are  splendid 
opportunities  for  increased  production  along  certain  lines. 

Gravenstein  apples  are  grown  to  an  unsurpassed  degree  of  ex- 
cellence and  are  noted  for  their  fine  color  and  wonderful  keeping 
qualities.  Such  apples  have  been  shipped  from  Coos  Bay  to  New 
Zealand,  Australia,  and  Alaska.  This  region  also  has  splendid 
opportunities  for  cranberry  growing,  there  being  considerable  wild 
area  having  the  natural  requirements  of  soil  and  moisture.  These 
peat  bogs  quite  often  are  supplied  with  living  streams  of  water  and 
generally  have  an  abundance  of  sand  in  their  vicinity,  thus  giving 
ideal  conditions.  Wherever  the  cranberry  has  been  tried  under 
suitable  conditions  it  is  giving  very  satisfactory  returns,  now  indicat- 
ing that  cranberry  growing  in  the  Coast  Division  will  become  an 


78 


OREGON  FARMER 


industry  of  considerable  importance  to  the  state.  The  greatest 
development  at  the  present  time  is  in  Coos,  Tillamook,  and  Clatsop 
Counties. 

Probably  no  region  of  the  state  can  surpass  the  Coast  Division 
in  the  production  of  small  fruits.  The  bench  lands  produce  straw- 
berries from  May  until  late  in  the  fall  and  early  winter,  and  the  rich 
moist  loams  are  unexcelled  for  the  growing  of  cane  fruits  such  as 
blackberries,  Loganberries,  and  raspberries.  Such  fruits  should  be 
produced  in  large  quantities  cheaply  for  canning  factories  or  evapo- 
rators. 

Certain  types  of  truck,  such  as  turnips,  cabbage,  cauliflower,  and 
broccoli,  do  specially  w^ell  on  the  bottom  lands. 

Southern  Oregon  District. 

This  is  divided  into  two  sections;  first,  Douglas  County,  which 
includes  the  Umpqua  Valley,  and  Jackson  and  Josephine  Counties, 
which  include  the  Rogue  River  Valley. 

Douglas  County  is  in  one  of  the  earliest  regions  in  the  state  and 
offers  an  inviting  field  for  the  production  of  early  garden  produce 
and  fruits.  Early  strawberries,  cherries,  and  vegetables  that  reach 
many  of  our  markets  come  from  this  section.  It  is  also  noted  for  the 
production  of  French  prunes,  and  a  considerable  industry  in  apples 
and  pear  growing  is  being  built  up. 

Jackson  and  Josephine  Counties  are  noted  for  their  pear  pro- 
duction. In  no  section  of  the  state  has  the  pear  been  developed  to  the 
extent  that  it  has  in  this  region.  Bartlett,  Howell,  Anjou,  Bosc, 
Cornice,  and  Winter  Nelis  are  the  principal  varieties.  In  addition 
to  pears  a  considerable  apple  acreage  is  found  in  the  valley,  Yellow 
Newtowns,  Spitzenbergs,  and  Jonathans  being  the  leading  varieties. 
In  some  sections,  such  as  Merlin  and  Ashland,  peach  growing  is  an 
industry  of  importance.  A  few  French  prunes  and  apricots  are 
produced.  Small  fruit  and  truck  growing  is  very  profitable  on  the 
alluvial  river  bottom  lands.  The  vinifera  grapes,  such  as  Muscat, 
Tokay,  and  Malaga,  succeed  in  the  red  hills  with  sunny  exposures. 
This  industry  in  a  number  of  cases  is  proving  to  be  very  profitable. 


FRUIT— SOUTHERN  OREGON  DIVISION-1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Apples  

73 

664 

104  112  bxs 

156  bxs 

$1  48 

$230  88 

Pears  (Box)  

53 

364} 

81,961  bxs. 

227  bxs. 

1.48 

335  96 

Prunes  (Green)  \ 
Prunes  (Dry).  .  .  / 
Peaches  

28 
43 

H 

342 
1,495 

734  bu. 
849,300  Ibs. 
38,851  bxs. 

128  bu. 
2,483  Ibs. 
261  bxs. 

.73 
.052 
58 

93.44 
128.89 
156  12 

Apricots  

2 

2 

300  bxs 

150  bxs 

1  00 

150  00 

Cherries 

7 

5 

8  000  Ibs 

1  600  Ibs 

12 

192  00 

Grapes  

3 

35 

5,000  cits 

143  crts 

60 

85  00 

Strawberries 

15 

1  395  crts 

82  crts 

1  72 

141  04 

OREGON  FARMER 


79 


VEGETABLES— SOUTHERN  OREGON  DIVISION— 1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Melons  

16 

57$ 

8  620  crts 

151  crts 

$1  67 

$252  17 

Onions 

17 

3j 

110  700  Ibs 

28  166  Ibs 

018 

506  98 

Cabbage...   . 

9 

6  200  Ibs 

7  750  Ibs 

015 

116  25 

Tomatoes  

14 

6 

5  400  bxs 

900  bxs 

38 

342  00 

Beans.  .  . 

18 

46 

53  500  Ibs 

1  163  Ibs 

048 

55  82 

Celery 

4 

1J 

2  300  dz  bun 

1  725  dz  bun 

70 

1  207  60 

Asparagus. 

1 

1  875  Ibs 

3  750  Ibs 

08 

300  00 

Peppers  

1 

1 

50-75  crts 

200-250  crts 

60 

150  00 

The  tables  of  production  show  the  average  secured  in  the  survey. 
It  is  interesting  to  note  a  few  specimen  cases.  While  above  the 
average,  these  show  what  it  is  possible  to  attain  where  the  conditions 
are  ideal  and  the  best  of  care  is  given  to  the  orchards. 

Orchard  No.  19,  contained  30  acres  of  fruit,  25  acres  being  devoted 
to  apples  and  5  acres  to  pears.  The  total  income  in  1910  from  this 
ranch  was  $23,528,  $22,545  being  from  the  orchard  and  garden.  The 
total  net  profit,  deducting  expenses,  was  $17,813.  This  ranch  was 
purchased  early  in  1910  for  $30,000.  The  owner  keeps  very  careful 
records,  and  the  figures  were  compiled  from  his  bank  books  and 
records. 

Orchard  No.  48,  a  small  pear  orchard,  consisting  of  1\  acres, 
produced  $9,300  worth  of  pears  in  1910,  which  left  a  net  gain  of 
$5,935. 

This  section  contains  very  large  orchards  as  well  as  many  small 
orchards.  One  of  the  largest  orchards  in  the  valley  is  Ranch  No. 
46,  containing  15  acres  of  Newtown  apples,  10  acres  of  Ben  Davis 
apples,  9  acres  of  Jonathan  apples,  and  119  acres  of  pears.  The 
total  sales  from  this  ranch  in  1910  were  $81,946,  which  left  a  net  gain 
of  $44,774.  A  40  acre  block  of  pears  on  this  ranch  averaged  $600 
per  acre  net  for  ten  years  from  1901  to  1911. 

Willamette  Valley  Division. 

This  is  the  largest  horticultural  division  in  the  state,  including 
ten  counties.  There  is  found  in  this  valley  a  wide  range  of  soil, 
elevation  and  climate,  and  as  a  result  we  find  its  horticulture  to  be 
diversified.  This  valley  is  the  center  of  the  dried  prune  industry  of 
the  state,  of  the  culture  of  the  Loganberry,  the  onion,  the  English 
walnut,  and  the  sweet  cherry.  In  addition  large  areas  are  devoted  to 
small  fruit  production,  garden  truck,  apples,  pears,  and  peaches. 
Nearly  all  types  of  fruit  are  grown  on  the  alluvial  river  bottoms, 
apples  and  pears  on  the  clay  loams,  prunes  and  cherries  on  the  red 
hills,  while  many  of  the  table  lands  are  adapted  to  nearly  all  types  of 
deciduous  fruits. 

While  there  are  certain  centers  of  horticultural  production  in  the 
valley,  on  the  other  hand  every  county  produces  varieties  of  all  kinds 
of  fruit  commercially  listed  for  this  region. 


80  OREGON^FARMER 

FRUIT-WILLAMETTE  VALLEY,  DIVISION-1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Apples  

176 

290J 

56,390  bxs. 

193  bxs. 

$0.85 

$164.05 

Pears  (Box)         

38 

1* 

3,390  bxs. 

216  bxs. 

.86 

185.76 

Pears  (Canned)  
Prunes  (Green)  

38 
130 

35 

249^ 

i 

55*  T. 
31,249  bu. 

1.59T. 
125  bu. 

30.31 
.92 

48.06 
115.00 

Prunes  (Dry) 

130 

1,4?8 

3,023,100  Ibs. 

2,117  Ibs. 

.064 

135.49 

Peaches  

19 

117J 

i 

24,541  bxs. 

202.  8  bxs. 

.76 

154.12 

Cherries       .                 .... 

77 

51 

194,200  Ibs. 

3,807  Ibs. 

.039 

148.47 

Strawberries  

40 

63 

10,681  crts. 

246  crts. 

1.32 

324.72 

Grapes      

12 

7 

75,440  Ibs. 

10,058  Ibs. 

.038 

382.62 

39 

15 

42,625  Ibs. 

2,750  Ibs. 

.04$ 

123.75 

Loganberries  

2 

83 

164}  T. 

2T. 

82.45 

164.90 

4 

1 

4,700  Ibs. 

4,700  Ibs. 

.05 

235  00 

Note:— Loganberry  yield  is  for  young  patches.    Mature  patches  yield  from  4  to  5  tons. 

VEGETABLES— WILLAMETTE  VALLEY  DIVISION-1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

2 

4 

23  T 

5}  T 

$21  50 

$123  62 

Onions          

28 

129} 

38.426  sks. 

297.  3  sks. 

1  38 

440.27 

Cabbage 

12 

18 

228  T. 

12  5T. 

13  66 

170  75 

Tomatoes  

8 
1 

3 
1 

2,123  bxs. 
200  bu. 

707.6  bxs. 
200  bu. 

.50 
1  25 

424.50 
250  00 

Celery  
Horse  Radish                .   . 

4 

10* 
16 

15,600  dz.bun 
48  T. 

1,486  dz.bun 
3T. 

.56 
140  00 

832.16 
420  00 

Rhubarb  

8 

g 

192,000  Ibs. 

21,  333  Ibs. 

.018 

383.99 

Peas                       

2 

5 

10,000  Ibs. 

2,000  Ibs. 

.04 

80  00 

g 

3J 

6  350  Ibs 

1,953  Ibs 

08 

156  24 

Squash  

5 

3i 

30}  T. 

9.37  T. 

4  69 

43.80 

1 

2 

250  sks. 

125  sks. 

1  00 

125  00 

Cucumbers  

3 
5 

j 

20  bbl. 
14,100  Ibs. 

40  bbl. 
16,114  Ibs. 

6.00 
015 

240.00 
241  71 

The  two  tables  of  vegetables  and  fruits  are  typical  of  average 
conditions  as  found  by  the  survey.  To  give  an  idea,  however,  of 
what  is  being  done  by  some  of  the  growers  in  this  valley,  the  following 
figures  are  interesting: 

Farm  No.  45,  contains  21  acres  of  apples,  peaches  and  prunes. 
The  income  in  1910  from  this  farm  was  $6,900. 

Farm  No.  27,  contains  20  acres  in  bearing: — 15  acres  of  apples, 
3  acres  of  prunes,  2  acres  of  cherries, — £  acre  of  Loganberries  and  15 
pear  trees.  The  income  from  this  fruit  for  1910  was  $5,013.75. 

Farm  No.  4,  contains  37  acres  in  bearing: — 3  acres  apples,  21 
acres  peaches,  5  acres  pears,  and  7  acres  of  prunes.  The  total  sales 
for  1910  were  $14,750. 

Farm  No.  1,  is  a  typical  large  prune  farm,  containing  123  acres  of 
prunes  and  2  acres  of  cherries  in  bearing.  Total  income  for  1910 
from  this  orchard  was  $20,150. 

While  the  figures  for  prunes  do  not  total  as  high  as  many  fruits,  it 
should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  cost  of  producing  is  relatively  low. 

Farm  No.  2,  contains  25  acres  of  Loganberries  in  full  bearing. 
The  total  income  from  berries  was  $10,000  in  1910.  In  addition 
$3,750  worth  of  young  plants  were  sold.  The  net  profit  on  this  farm 
was  $9,212. 


OREGON  FARMER 


81 


Farm  No.  56,  contains  8|  acres  of  onions,  from  which  2,400  sacks 
were  sold,  which  brought  $4,200.  The  net  gain  for  this  farm  in  1910 
was  $3,363. 

Farm  No.  39,  contains  5  acres  of  onions,  producing  1,600  sacks 
which  sold  for  $2,700. 

Farm  No.  57,  consists  of  only  2  acres  of  celery,  and  a  small  patch 
of  cabbage  and  corn,  making  a  total  sales  of  $1,550,  leaving  a  net 
gain  of  $842. 

Columbia  Basin  Division. 

The  Columbia  Basin  Division  includes  a  number  of  widely 
separated  fruit  districts.  These  districts  are  quite  dissimilar  in 
many  respects,  such  as  climate,  soil,  and  variety  adaptability.  In  the 
table  of  incomes  this  district  is  shown  to  give  a  greater  profit  per 
acre  than  any  of  the  other  districts.  The  reasons  for  this  are,  from 
a  horticultural  point  of  view,  due  to  the  following  conditions :  First, 
the  fruit  farms  are  small.  Second,  they  are  farmed  intensively. 
Third,  the  climatic  and  soil  conditions  allow  for  a  wide  diversity  of 
crops.  Fourth,  irrigation  is  used  supplementarily  very  successfully 
on  many  of  the  farms. 

The  districts  included  in  the  Columbia  Basin  Division  are  the 
Freewater  Milton  district,  which  is  part  of  the  Walla  Walla  valley. 
This  region  produces  a  wide  range  of  fruits  and  vegetables.  Probably 
no  other  region  in  the  state  is  as  diversified  in  a  small  area  as  this 
district.  Prunes  for  shipping  green,  peaches,  apples,  berries,  cherries, 
and  garden  truck  are  all  grown  on  a  commercial  scale. 

Irrigation  is  used  quite  extensively  in  this  valley. 

The  Hermiston-Stanfield  district  is  an  irrigated  district  which  has 
been  developed  in  the  past  few  years.  Horti culturally  it  shows 
promise  of  producing  early  vegetables,  lima  beans,  melons,  peppers, 
peaches,  table  grapes,  and  Winesap  apples. 

The  Dalles  district  is  primarily  a  stone  fruit  district.  Prunes, 
peaches,  apricots  and  Royal  Anne  cherries  are  all  grown  commercially. 
The  vinifera  grapes  also  succeed  in  this  district.  In  the  valleys  to  the 
south  apples  and  similar  fruits  are  being  produced  successfully. 

The  Hood  River  and  Mosier  districts  are  devoted  mostly  to  apple 
culture,  Spitzenbergs  and  Yellow  Newtowns  being  the  leaders. 
Some  pears  and  berries,  especially  strawberries,  are  also  grown. 

FRUIT— COLUMBIA  BASIN  DIVISION— 1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Apples  

58 

379 

135,204  bxs. 

359  bxs. 

$1.16 

$416.44 

Prunes  
Peaches 

23 

36 

28f 
95 

487.500  Ibs. 
48'851  bxs 

16,956  Ibs. 
514  bxs 

:S1 

254.34 
379  33 

Cherries  

22 

17* 

102,410  Ibs. 

5,825  Ibs. 

04! 

277  97 

Grapes 

g 

52$ 

33  360  crts 

635  crts 

605 

384  17 

Strawberries  
Raspberries 

20 
2 

41 

l 

4,495  crts. 
182  crts 

109  crts. 
364  crts 

2.13 
1  95 

232.17 
709  80 

Blackberries  
Dewberries 

7 
3 

1 
4 

1.078  crts. 
457  crts 

168  crts. 
114  crts 

1.64 
2  00 

275.52 
228  00 

82  OREGON  FARMER 

VEGETABLES— COLUMBIA  BASIN  DIVISION— 1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Melons 

2 

4 

550  crts 

138  crts 

$1  67 

$230  46 

Opions  

1 

200  sks. 

200  sks. 

1  60 

320  00 

Cabbage 

3 

54 

26  tons 

4  7  tons 

30  00 

141  03 

Tomatoes  

6 

3 

1,763  bxs. 

1,175  bxs. 

.84 

987  00 

Beans  

10 

7 

38  167  Ibs. 

5  452  Ibs 

054 

294  41 

Peas 

4 

41 

11  492  Ibs 

2  508  Ibs 

045 

112  86 

Asparagus  

4 

5 

496  bxs. 

99  bxs. 

66 

65  34 

Cucumbers 

4 

113  crts 

226  crts 

82 

185  32 

Peppers  
Egg  Plants 

1 
2 

125  bxs. 
200  crts 

250  bxs. 
322  6  crts 

.00 
1  00 

150.00 
322  60 

The  tables  show  average  conditions  as  brought  out  by  the  survey. 
However,  one  finds  exceptional  returns  in  such  districts  where  diversi- 
fied fruit  culture  is  practiced.  As  examples  of  what  has  been  done 
in  these  districts  by  men  who  have  been  skillful  growers  and  who 
have  had  unexcelled  facilities  with  which  to  work,  the  following  is 
interesting. 

Farm  No.  27,  contains  14  acres  of  large  mature  apple  trees  in  first 
class  condition.  In  1910  this  farm  produced  $31,364  worth  of  apples 
or  approximately  $1,500  per  acre. 

Farm  No.  16,  contains  9  acres  of  apple  trees,  which  in  1910  pro- 
duced 4,400  boxes  of  apples  which  sold  for  $6,223. 

Farm  No.  28,  contains  7  acres  of  apples,  3  acres  of  peaches,  and 
i  acre  of  cherries.  The  total  sales  from  the  10J  acres  was  $8,878.67. 
The  net  gain  from  all  sources  on  this  farm  was  $5,121. 

Farm  No.  23,  contains  only  5  acres,  consisting  of  apples,  straw- 
berries, blackberries,  dewberries,  nectarines  and  plums.  The  total 
total  sales  amounted  to  $2,619  in  1910. 

Farm  No.  27,  contains  8|  acres  of  strawberries,  J  acre  of  red 
raspberries,  and  J  acre  of  phenomenal  berries.  The  total  sales 
amounted  to  $2,588.50. 

Farm  No.  8,  contains  only  6  acres,  being  diversified  among  the 
following  crops: — apples,  peaches,  prunes,  strawberries,  black 
raspberries,  blackberries,  canteloupes  and  potatoes.  The  total 
sales  amounted  to  $3,000. 

Farm  No.  17,  contains  22  acres,  consisting  of  18  acres  of  apples, 
1  acre  of  prunes,  2  acres  of  blackberries,  J  acre  of  asparagus,  and  a 
mixed  acreage  containing  peaches,  pears,  cherries,  crabapples, 
potatoes,  peas  and  squash.  The  total  sales  amounted  to  $7,764.42. 
The  net  income  from  this  farm  was  $6,183. 

Blue  Mountain  Division. 

The  Blue  Mountain  Division  is  found  near  the  eastern  border 
of  the  state,  most  of  the  fruit  being  grown  above  the  elevation  of 
2,000  feet.  There  are  a  number  of  quite  highly  developed  horti- 
cultural districts  in  this  area.  The  Grande  Ronde  Valley  is  the 
largest  fruit  section.  A  considerable  apple  industry  has  been  built 
up  in  this  valley  with  such  varieties  as  York  Imperial,  Gano,  Rome 
Beauty,  and  Jonathan.  In  the  vicinity  of  Cove,  Bing  cherries  and 


OREGON  FARMER 


83 


Italian  prunes  are  grown  for  shipping  green  to  eastern  markets. 
Eagle  and  Pine  valleys  in  the  vicinity  of  Baker  are  giving  considerable 
attention  to  fruit  production  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Snake  River 
a  considerable  area  is  to  be  found  upon  which  almost  any  type  of 
deciduous  fruit  can  be  grown. 

FRUIT— BLUE  MOUNTAIN  DIVISION— 1910-11. 


Reports. 

Acres. 

Total  Crop. 

Per  Acre. 

Average 
Price. 

Income 
Per  Acre. 

Apples  

23 

323* 

60,984  bxs. 

185      bxs. 

$0.97 

$178.89 

Prunes  (Green)         .... 

6 

8J 

95,523  Ibs. 

11,578      Ibs. 

.009 

108.24 

Peaches  

5 

48 

4,500  bxs. 

93.75  bxs. 

.86 

80.63 

Cherries  
Strawberries  

10 
6 

ia 

159,000  Ibs. 
810  crts. 

8,957       Ibs 
180      crts. 

.06 
2.46 

574.64 
443.33 

The  above  table  has  shown  the  average  conditions  of  this  district, 
but  the  showing  of  a  few  of  the  better  farms  is  of  interest. 

Farm  No.  42,  contains  6|  acres  of  apples,  2J  acres  of  cherries,  and 
a  few  scattering  trees  of  prunes  and  peaches.  It  produced  in  1910 
$4,200  worth  of  fruit.  $400  worth  of  produce  was  sold  from  this 
farm,  leaving  a  total  net  gain  of  $2,727. 

Farm  No.  18,  contains  3  acres  of  strawberries  and  a  few  scattered 
peach  and  pear  trees.  The  total  income  amounted  to  $1,506. 

Farm  No.  8,  contains  10  acres  of  bearing  apple  trees,  1  acre 
peaches,  2  acres  cherries.  Total  sales,  including  poultry,  bees,  and 
dairy,  amounted  to  $7,887.50,  leaving  a  total  net  gain  of  $5,453. 

Central  Oregon  Division. 

This  division  contains  a  tremendous  area  of  country  in  which  is 
found  a  few  valleys  in  which  horticultural  products  are  being  grown 
successfully.  In  those  regions  which  have  good  soil,  ample  rainfall 
or  supplementary  irrigation,  coupled  with  freedom  from  frost, 
horticulture  is  found  to  be  a  very  profitable  industry.  Wherever  the 
canon  breezes  blow,  good  locations  for  fruit  can  generally  be  found. 

Owing  to  the  lack  of  transportation  facilities  in  the  earlier  days 
this  region  produced  fruit  almost  entirely  for  local  consumption. 
While  this  region  as  a  whole  will  never  become  a  great  horticultural 
region  there  are  certain  portions  which  can  produce  horticultural 
crops  very  profitably.  The  Ontario  district  has  nearly  the  same 
conditions  as  are  found  in  the  famous  Payette  district  of  Idaho,  and 
apples,  prunes,  melons,  and  similar  crops  should  be  grown  in  this 
region  in  large  amounts  successfully.  The  John  Day  Valley  has  been 
producing  fruit  for  many  years.  One  of  the  largest  districts  to  be 
found  in  Central  Oregon  is  near  the  Goose  and  Summer  Lakes. 
There  is  a  considerable  area  of  land  here  of  the  very  congenial  soil, 
and  the  climatic  conditions  are  favorable  for  the  type  of  fruits  such 
as  apples,  pears,  peaches,  prunes  and  vegetables,  even  such  types  as 
tomatoes  and  peppers.  With  the  better  transportation  facilities 
which  have  recently  been  inaugurated  in  Eastern  Oregon  it  is  only 
a  question  of  a  short  time  before  the  favorable  districts  will  develop 
a  horticultural  industry  of  considerable  importance. 


OREGON  FARMER 


If  anything  were  needed  to  prove  that  conditions  are  favorable  in  Oregon  to  the 
poultry  industry  it  would  be  found  in  the  egg  records  that  have  been  made  by  laying 
fowls  at  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station  at  Corvallis.  During  1912,  egg  records  were 
secured  that  exceeded  those  made  in  any  other  state,  in  the  Union  so  far  as  au  then  tie 
records  are  concerned.  For  the  fiscal  year,  ending  September  10, 1913,  one  hen  at  the  Oregon 
Experiment  Station  broke  the  world's  record  by  laying  291  eggs  in  twelve  months,  the 
previous  record  being  282.  The  Oregon  hen  laid  99  eggs  in  100  consecutive  days  in  the  Spring. 


OREGON  FARMER 
THE  POULTRY  INDUSTRY  IN  OREGON. 

By  JAMES  DRYDEN, 
Professor  of  Poultry  Husbandry. 


85 


SEVEN  OREGON  FARMS,  SHOWING  DIFFERENT  TYPES  OF 
Table  A  POULTRY  KEEPING— 1911-12. 


Farm. 

A. 

B. 

C. 

D. 

E. 

F. 

G. 

County. 

Lane. 

Lane. 

Jackson. 

Marion. 

Linn. 

Multnomah. 

Morrow. 

No.  Acres..  < 

*Value  per  a 
Men  Needec 
Horses  Neec 
Miles  to  R.  ] 

Stock  Kept. 

No.  of  Fowls 
Estimate 
per  Fowl. 
Prices 
Received. 

Owned 

20 
12 
$135.00 
1 
2 
Hm 

307 
230 
$93.48 
2 
7 
2$m 
9 
8 
4 
100 
40 
300 
$1.00 
125 
47c 
18c 

14 
14 

$500.00 
1 
1 
2  m 

1 
2 

31 
31 

$606.00 

? 

2  m 
2 
2 

1 

40 
40 
$100.00 

2 
1  m 
3 
3 

24 
12 
$1000.00 
1 
1 
im 

t788 
788 
$15.00 
2 
8 
2*m 
20 
5 
5 

Farmed  
ere 

ed." 

1.  Station  

f  Horses  .  . 

Cows 

Cattle  ...   . 

Sheep 

Ho^s 

2 
300 

"'40c' 
18Jc 

"'776'" 
$1.25 
125 
65c 
27*c 

'"m"' 

$1.00 
100 
35c 

16c 

Kept  

190 
$1.15 
142 
51c 
19|c 

300 
$1.50 
105 
50c 
20c 

770 
$1.50 
140 
45c 
20c 

Cost  Feed  
Eggs  per  Hen  
Highest 

Lowest  

*This  value  does  not  include  buildings. 
fOwns  628  acres,  rents  160  acres. 


Table  B 


RECEIPTS,  1911-12. 


Farm 

A. 

B. 

C. 

D. 

E. 

F. 

G. 

Hay  and 
Animal  E 
Dairy  .  .  . 
Orchard  t 

Value  of 
Poultry 
Sold. 

Labor  for 
Miscellan 

Total.. 

Net  R*ce 
Net  Gain 
Per  Cent 
InvestE 

Field  Crops, 
[usbandry... 

$64.00 

$1,381.20 
996.00 
300.00 

$555.00 

"'iiioioo 

1,750.00 

$10.00 
50.00 
5,270.00 

$85.00 
89.00 
3.00 

465.00 
410.00 

ind  Garden. 

Chickens... 
Turkeys.... 
Dunks 

$32.50 

$100.00 

$62.50 

$150.00 

$60.00 

$380.00 

$132.00 
400.00 
9.00 
105.00 

500.00 

15.30 

Geese  

Eggs  
Total  
others  

BOUS  . 

506.80 

D'ckl4.00 
.  710.00 

840.00 

2,565.00 

857.75 

2,328.00 

$539.30 

$839.30 

$902.50 

$2,715.00 

$917.75 

$2,708.00 

$1,146.00 

$50.00 

$200.00 
50.00 

$653.30 

$3,769.50 

$2,792.50 

$8,045.30 

$1,094.75 

$2,708.00 

S2.576.00 

pts  

$413.77 

584.77 

16.1% 

;  $2,077.  00 
2,944.00 

8.6% 

$1,048.50 
1,545.50 

17.7% 

$4,554.30 
5,379.30 

19.7% 

,$549.50 
.^953.50 
f'       ** 
£  15.4% 

$520.00 
1,420.00 

5.3% 

$674.00 
1,579.00 

10.8% 

Gain  on 
aent. 

86  OREGON  FARMER 

Table  C  EXPENSES  APRIL  1,  1911  TO  APRIL  1,  1912. 


Item 

A. 

B. 

C. 

D. 

E. 

F. 

G. 

Hired  Labor  

$     2.00 

$250  00 

$1  000  00 

$     4  50 

$      8  00 

$300  00 

Insurance  

1  30 

6  00 

10  00 

3  00 

Taxes  

25.75 

215.00 

99  00 

51  75 

154  00 

Hay  and  Feed  

34.00 

$574.00 

1,130.00 

1,270  00 

Seed  Grass,  Clover 
and  Grain  

25  00 

16  00 

Fertilizer  

3  00 

Horseshoeing  and 
Blacksmithing  

15  00 

20  00 

5  00 

10  00 

Breeding  Fees  

30.00 

2  00 

60  00 

Twine  

.50 

25  00 

Threshing  —  Contract 
Basis  

3.00 

200  00 

16  00 

320  00 

Barrels,  Boxes,  Crates 

Etc 

30  00 

210  00 

300  00 

20  00 

Spray  Materials  

1.50 

130.00 

10  00 

Medical  

10.00 

10  00 

Household  
Educational 

150.00 
5  00 

615.00 
75  00 

497.00 

200.00 
20  00 

369.00 

500.00 

505.00 
400  00 

Improvements  

75  00 

300  00 

400  00 

Repairs  

50  00 

50  00 

20  00 

100  00 

Implements  

15.00 

35.00 

170  00 

35  00 

Miscellaneous  

57.00 

463.00 

25.00 

25.00 

33  00 

Total  

$239.55 

$1,689.50 

$1,744  00 

$3,491  00 

$545  25 

$2  188  00 

$1  902  00 

Living  Expenses,  Im- 
provements, educa- 
tional   
Operating  Expense  .    . 

170.00 
69.55 

907.00 
782.50 

497.00 
1,247.00 

775.00 
2,716.00 

424.00 
121.25 

900.00 
1.288.00 

905.00 
997.00 

Table  D 


CAPITAL  INVESTED. 


Farm 

A. 

B. 

C. 

D. 

E. 

F. 

G. 

Land  

$2,700 

$28  700 

$7000 

$18  800 

$4000 

$24000 

$9  420 

Dwellings  

200 

1,500 

750 

2,000 

800 

500 

1  500 

Other  Buildings  

100 

500 

250 

4000 

350 

800 

500 

Machinery   and    Tools  

75 

200 

200 

500 

300 

50 

400 

Live  Stock  

300 

2,914 

520 

485 

460 

670 

2  315 

Feed  and  Seed.. 

50 

100 

50 

100 

100 

400 

Cash  to  Run  Farm  

200 

75 

1,000 

400 

Total  

$3,625 

$33,989 

$8  720 

$26  835 

$6010 

$26  520 

$14  535 

reports  of  the  statistical  bureau  show  that  1,262  interviews 
were  secured  from  farmers  who  kept  poultry.  Interviews  were 
secured  in  every  county  of  the  state.  There  were  reported  on  the 
1,262  farms,  86,220  hens,  with  an  average  of  68  per  farm.  The  least 
number  of  hens  reported  on  any  farm  was  6  and  the  highest  number 
1,000.  The  great  majority  of  the  interviews  did  not  furnish  enough 
accurate  data  to  warrant  drawing  any  important  lessons.  For 
instance,  out  of  1,262  farms  reporting  poultry,  only  28  kept  any 


OREGON  FARMER  87 

actual  account  of  the  food  consumed.  A  more  or  less  accurate 
account  of  the  number  of  eggs  laid  was  kept  by  449  farmers. 

Eleven  farms  reported  poultry  as  a  specialty.  Nine  farms  special- 
ized in  dairy  and  poultry.  Nine  farms  specialized  in  fruit  and 
poultry.  Three  farms  in  live  stock  and  poultry.  Four  in  grain 
growing  and  poultry.  Two  in  general  farming  and  poultry.  Four  in 
truck  gardening  and  poultry.  These  were  some  of  the  farms^that 
showed  the  most  reliable  statistics  of  production.  In  a  great  majority 
of  interviews  poultry-keeping  is  reported  as  a  side  line  to  general  or 
mixed  farming. 

One  fact  is  pretty  strongly  emphasized  in  all  reports  and  that  is 
that  there  is  not  much  actual  book-keeping  done  by  the  farmer. 
This  is  especially  true  in  regard  to  the  cost  of  feeding  the  fowls.  On 
28  farms  exact  records  were  kept.  The  average  cost  of  food  per  fowl 
on  those  28  farms  was  $1.27  during  the  year.  The  figures  vary  from 
$2.00  per  fowl  to  $1.00  as  averages  for  the  counties.  In  most  of 
these  cases  the  food,  or  a  large  percentage  of  it,  was  bought. 

As  to  the  number  of  eggs  laid  per  fowl  the  figures  at  best  are 
estimates.  The  average  during  the  year  on  449  farms  was  111.24. 
To  show  the  unreliability  of  the  average  estimates,  it  is  sufficient 
to  state  that  one  farmer  reported  an  average  of  36  per  fowl,  which 
was  the  lowest.  Another  reported  an  average  for  his  flock  of  220  per 
fowl.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  neither  of  them  comes  very  near  the  truth. 
We  probably  come  very  near  the  actual  truth,  however,  by  taking 
the  average  of  the  whole  449.  This  may  show  the  value  of  an  average 
though  it  does  not  represent  the  possibilities. 

As  already  explained  in  another  part  of  this  book,  it  is  possible  that 
the  reports  do  not  represent  the  best  obtainable  data,  but  there  are 
enough  reports  of  a  reliable  character  when  analyzed  carefully  to 
indicate  something  of  the  status  of  the  poultry  industry  of  this  state 
and  of  the  possibilities  in  that  line  of  production.  It  isn't  fair  to 
deal  with  averages  in  talking  about  possibilities.  If  we  were  to  say 
that  the  poultry  industry  was  a  profitable  industry  in  the  United 
States  we  would  not  get  very  much  support  for  this  view  from  the 
federal  census  which  deals  in  averages.  According  to  that  report  the 
fowls  of  the  United  States  average  some  six  dozen  eggs  per  hen. 
According  to  the  same  report  the  hens  of  Oregon  are  doing  a  little 
better,  but  in  neither  case  do  the  figures  represent  a  profitable 
industry.  We  must  analyze  individual  cases  if  we  are  to  get  at  the 
truth  of  the  matter.  The  average  of  the  449  farms  at  the  rate  of  111 
eggs  per  fowl  represents  a  profitable  business,  but  it  dosn't  fully 
represent  the  possibilities. 

The  reports  show  what  has  generally  been  known  to  be  a  fact, 
that  the  poultry  industry  is  not  a  specialized  business.  By  that  I 
mean  that  it  is  not  conducted  as  a  separate  or  exclusive  business  to 
any  extent.  We  may  have  specialists  in  poultry-keeping,  but  there 
should  be  a  wider  meaning  to  the  word  specialization  than  is  usually 
given.  A  man  may  specialize  in  poultry-keeping  and  yet  grow  other 


88  OREGON  FARMER 

crops.  He  may  make  poultry-keeping  a  leading  feature  of  his  farming 
and  still  conduct  a  mixed  husbandry  farm.%  He  may  specialize  in 
other  branches  of  agriculture  and  make  poultry-keeping  a  side 
issue.  In  either  case  there  are  possibilities  for  profit.  Whatever 
may  be  the  future  of  the  poultry  industry  the  fact  is  that  it  is  not  a 
specialized  business,  so  far  as  regards  the  production  of  market 
poultry  and  eggs.  There  are  specialists,  however,  who  make  a 
business  of  raising  improved  breeding  stock.  That  is  a  legitimate 
and  necessary  business,  but  the  great  bulk  of  poultry  produced  comes, 
and  probably  always  will  come,  from  a  system  of  mixed  husbandry 
in  which  poultry-keeping  may  be  the  leading  feature  or  merely  a  side 
line  to  the  other  farm  operations. 

A  study  of  the  individual  reports  secured  show  that  we  have  in 
Oregon  a  good  poultry  state.  I  have  no  doubt  there  are  many  other 
poultry  producers  who  have  not  been  interviewed  who  would  give 
equally  good  reports,  but  we  have  enough,  I  think,  to  bring  out  the 
point  that  poultry-keeping  is  a  profitable  business  here  and  that 
there  is  great  encouragement  for  anyone  to  embark  in  that  line  of 
farm  production  if  he  goes  at  it  in  the  right  way. 

SEVEN  TYPICAL  FARMS. 

I  have  selected  seven  different  farms  located  in  different  sections 
of  the  state  to  show  under  what  conditions  poultry  is  being  raised 
and  what  results  are  being  secured.  They  are  numbered  "A"  to 
"G"  inclusive. 

"A"  represents  a  small  farm  of  20  acres  and  of  one-man  power, 
in  fact  a  bachelor.  Practically  the  only  income  was  from  fowls,  and 
the  operating  expenses,  outside  of  the  owner's  labor,  was  little  or 
nothing. 

Farm  "B"  represents  a  typical  mixed  husbandry  farm  of  307  acres. 
The  income  was  derived  from  four  different  branches,  namely,  field 
crops,  live  stock,  dairy  and  poultry,  with  poultry  a  prominent  feature. 

Farm  "C"  is  a  small  farm  of  14  acres  showing  a  combination  of 
peach  growing  and  poultry  in  a  natural  fruit  district. 

Farm  "D"  is  a  farm  of  31  acres  with  fruit  and  poultry  as  the  only 
two  items  of  production,  the  orchard  producing  a  diversity  of  fruits. 

Farm  "E"  shows  a  different  type  of  poultry  farming.  Here  poultry 
is  the  leading  feature,  with  some  livestock,  dairy  and  orchard  pro- 
ducts as  subsidiary  lines.  This  shows  what  may  be  done  on  a  com- 
paratively small  farm  in  diversified  farming  with  poultry  as  a 
specialty. 

Farm  "F"  represents  a  special  poultry  farm.  In  this  case  poultry 
is  the  only  business  of  the  owner. 

Farm  "G"  is  another,  though  different,  type  of  mixed  husbandry 
farm,  located  in  the  eastern  section  of  the  state.  In  this  case  there  is 
a  large  acreage  of  comparatively  cheap  land  but:  a  system  of  mixed 
husbandry  prevails,  with  poultry  as  the  leading  feature. 


OREGON  FARMER  89 

The  statistical  data  has  been  summarized  in  concise  form  in  the 
tables  on  pages  86  and  87.  Table  A  gives  general  inform- 
ation in  regard  to  the  seven  farms.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the 
principal  geographical  sections  of  the  state  are  represented  in 
this  list  of  farms.  The  Willamette  Valley  is  represented  by  5 
farms,  A,  B,  D,  E,  and  F.  Southern  Oregon  or  the  Rogue  River 
Valley  by  "C"  and  Eastern  Oregon  by  "G."  This  does  not  fully 
cover  or  represent  the  whole  state  so  far  as  climatic  conditions  are 
concerned  but  the  data  from  other  sections  were  not  accurate  enough 
or  complete  enough  to  warrant  extended  consideration. 

Climatic  Conditions. 

These  seven  farms,  however,  represent  sections  of  various  temper- 
ature and  moisture  conditions.  In  the  Willamette  Valley  the  climate 
is  mild  with  an  average  minimum  temperature  of  about  34  degrees 
above  zero.  That  is,  once  during  the  winter,  on  the  average,  that 
temperature  is  reached.  In  fact  there  are  but  few  days  in  the  winter 
when  the  freezing  temperature  occurs.  Occasionally  a  little  snow 
falls  but  soon  melts.  The  rainfall,  however,  is  considerable  in  the 
winter.  The  winter  climate,  therefore,  may  be  characterized  as  mild 
and  humid.  The  summers  are  comparatively  dry. 

Southern  Oregon,  represented  by  "C"  has  a  greater  range  of 
temperature,  some  snowfall  and  occasionally  a  few  days  of  sleighing. 
The  precipitation  is  about  half  that  of  the  Willamette  Valley.  The 
altitude  ranges  at  about  2,000  feet. 

Eastern  Oregon  is  represented  by  farm  "G".  Of  course  no  one 
point  can  fully  represent  the  immense  territory  embraced  in  this 
section  of  the  state,  but  in  general  this  farm  will  represent  the 
climatic  conditions  for  the  larger  part  of  Oregon  which  lies  east 
of  the  Cascade  range  of  mountains.  The  climate  in  this  section  is 
dry,  both  the  rainfall  and  snowfall  being  light.  It  is  in  the  midst 
of  the  great  wheat  and  range  country  where  dry  farming  prevails. 
For  further  information  in  regard  to  climate  see  page  67  of  this  book. 

The  importance  of  making  the  data  cover  the  different  sections 
of  the  state  has  been  kept  in  mind.  The  main  purpose,  however,  in 
making  the  selections  of  farms  as  they  have  been  made,  has  been  to 
show  the  possibilities  of  poultry  farming  under  different  systems  of 
managenemnt. 

General  Information. 

Table  A  on  Page  86  is  largely  self-explanatory  and  the  figures 
are  based  on  reports  that  I  believe  to  be  thoroughly  reliable.  Other 
reports  could  have  been  given  showing  more  striking  results  but 
their  reliability  or  accuracy  was  not  such  that  it  was  thought  advisable 
to  quote  them.  This  table  shows  that  the  number  of  fowls  kept  on 
the  different  farms  range  from  190  on  farm  "A"  to  776  on  farm  "F". 
The  cost  of  feed  per  fowl  ranges  from  $1.00  to  $1.50  per  year.  The  eggs 
laid  per  fowl  from  100  to  142.  The  prices  received  for  the  product 
were  the  regular  market  prices,  that  is,  so  much  a  dozen  for  eggs  and 


90  OREGON  FARMER 

so  much  a  pound  for  chickens.  There  was  no  special  or  extra 
revenue  derived  from  selling  breeding  stock  or  eggs  and  poultry  for 
fancy  prices.  The  highest  price  received  was  65  cents  a  dozen  from 
farm  "F"  near  Portland.  The  lowest  on  the  same  farm  was  27  J 
cents.  The  private  trade  in  this  case  took  the  product  at  a  somewhat 
better  price  than  the  general  market  would  pay.  The  lowest  price 
received  on  any  farm  was  16  cents  on  farm  "G"  in  Eastern  Oregon. 
This  farm  is  180  miles  from  Portland.  The  highest  price  received  on 
the  same  farm  was  35  cents.  It  will  be  noted  that  the  minimum 
cost  of  feed  was  also  shown  on  this  farm.  There  are  few  sections  in 
the  United  States,  if  any,  where  wheat  is  cheaper  than  in  the  section 
represented  by  this  farm. 

It  will  be  noted  that  there  is  a  great  range  in  value  of  land  per  acre 
in  the  different  sections.  The  seven  farms  are  all  close  to  shipping 
points. 

Capital. 

Table  D  on  page  87  gives  the  estimate  as  to  capital  invested  in 
each  farm.  In  figuring  the  profit  on  the  farm,  of  course  the  capital 
or  interest  on  investment  must  be  taken  into  account.  During  the 
past  five  years  the  reports  show  in  most  cases,  that  the  land  practi- 
cally doubled  in  value. 

Receipts. 

Table  B  on  page  86  gives  the  receipts  of  the  different  farms  for 
the  year  April  1,  1911  to  April  1,  1912.  It  is  shown  that  on  farm 
"A",  the  small  place  owned  and  operated  by  one  man,  the  receipts 
amounted  to  $653,  all  but  $114  being  from  poultry  and  eggs. 

Farm  "B"  shows  the  results  from  a  mixed  husbandry  farm.  The 
largest  item  of  receipts  was  from  hay  and  field  crops  sold;  the  next 
from  live  stock  sold;  the  next  from  poultry  products,  and  the  next 
dairy  products.  The  total  receipts  from  the  farm  were  $3,766.50. 

Farm  "C",  a  fruit  and  poultry  farm  shows  receipts  of  $2,792.50. 
The  crop  of  peaches  selling  for  $1,750;  poultry  and  eggs  for  $902.50 
and  butter  fat  $140.00. 

Farm  "D"  shows  receipts  of  $10  animal  husbandry;  $50  dairy; 
$2,715  poultry  and  $5,270  fruit. 

Farm  "E"  shows  some  mixed  husbandry  but  the  large  item  of 
receipts  is  from  poultry,  a  total  of  $917.75  for  poultry  and  eggs  and 
$177  from  other  sources. 

Farm  "F"  as  a  special  poultry  farm  shows  no  other  receipts  than 
poultry,  the  total  being  $2,708. 

Farm  "G"  shows  a  wide  variety  of  products,  poultry  being  the 
leading  feature,  the  receipts  being  $1,146  for  poultry; $555  from  field 
crops;  $465  from  butter  and  $410  from  orchard  and  garden. 

Expenses. 

The  expenses  paid  out  on  the  several  farms  for  the  year  1911  are 
shown  in  table  C  on  page  87.  It  will  be  noted  that  there  is  little 


OREGON  FARMER  91 

hired  labor  employed  on  any  of  the  farms  except  "D",  there  being 
practically  none  on  A,  C,  E,  and  F.  On  three  of  the  farms  money  was 
paid  out  for  feed.  Most  of  the  feed  used  on  those  farms  was  pur- 
chased, though  a  small  quantity  was  raised,  chiefly  green  food.  On 
the  other  four  farms  no  money  was  paid  out  for  feed,  the  farm  pro- 
ducing all  that  was  fed.  The  table  include?  the  amount  paid  out  for 
household  expenses.  This  amount  varies  in  proportion  to  the  size 
of  family  and  other  items.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the  house- 
hold expenses  on  farm  "A"  were  only  $150.  In  this  case  the  owner 
was  the  only  person  on  the  farm.  In  addition  to  doing  all  the  farm 
work  he  performed  all  the  necessary  duties  of  the  household. 

Farm  "E"  supported  two  persons,  and  the  outlay  was  $369.  The 
household  expenses  do  not  include  the  amount  of  food  produced  on 
the  farm  such  as  garden  truck,  milk,  etc.  The  money  paid  out  on 
farms  "A"  and  "E"  show  just  how  little  a  farmer  has  to  purchase  or 
bring  onto  the  farm  under  certain  conditions  of  diversification. 

The  total  expenses  on  farm  "A"  were  $239.55,  the  total  for  farm 
"E"  $545.25.  The  total  paid  out  for  operating  expenses  for  farm 
"A"  was  only  $69.55  and  farm  "E"  $121.25,  showing  that  those  two 
farms  came  very  nearly  being  self-sustaining. 

The  table  shows  the  net  operating  expenses  after  deducting  the 
living  expenses,  improvements,  and  educational. 

As  to  the  profit  on  different  farms,  it  is  difficult  to  figure  this  out 
closely.  The  figures,  however,  are  complete  enough  to  get  a  general 
approximation.  On  farm  "A"  with  a  total  capital  of  $3,625  there 
was  a  profit,  in  other  words  a  net  gain,  of  $584.77.  This  profit  is 
arrived  at  by  subtracting  the  operating  expenses  from  the  total 
receipts.  If  we  include  the  living  expenses,  improvements  and 
educational,  there  would  be  a  net  gain  of  $413.77.  In  other  words, 
after  including  everything  paid  out  of  whatever  nature,  the  owner  had 
$413.77  to  deposit  in  the  bank,  or  to  pay  interest  on  investment. 

Figuring  in  the  same  way  farmer  "B",  with  a  capital  of  $33,989 
made  a  total  net  gain  of  $2,944,  or  $2,077  after  deducting  living 
expenses,  etc. 

Farmer  "C"  with  a  capital  of  $8,720  shows  $1,048.50  gain  after 
paying  all  operating  expenses,  household,  improvements,  etc. 

Farmer  "D"  with  a  capital  of  $26,835  is  shown  to  have  in  cash 
$4,554.30  after  paying  all  operating  expenses  including  household 
and  improvements. 

Farmer  "E"  with  a  capital  of  $6,010  showed  cash  on  hand  at  the 
end  of  the  year  of  $549.50  after  paying  all  expenses  of  the  farm  and 
household  for  the  year. 

Farmer  "F"  with  a  capital  of  $26,520  showed  net  receipts  or  cash 
on  hand  of  $520. 

Farmer  "G"  with  a  capital  of  $14,535  showed  a  cash  gain  of  $674, 
after  paying  all  farm  and  living  expenses.  The  per  cent  gain  given 
in  each  case,  shown  at  the  bottom  of  table,  is  figured  on  the  basis 


92  OREGON  FARMER 

of  total  net  gain.  That  is,  the  improvements  and  living  expenses 
are  included  in  the  net  gain. 

In  spite  of  a  heavy  valuation  in  some  cases  a  very  satisfactory 
showing  is  made  on  practically  all  of  the  farms.  It  is  true  that 
farmer  "F"  on  the  showing  made  would  be  money  in  the  pocket  if  he 
could  sell  his  place  at  the  estimated  capital  and  invest  the  money  at 
interest.  He  shows  good  returns  from  the  flock  which  he  keeps,  but 
his  account  shows  that  his  capital  investment  is  too  high.  The  land 
is  valued  at  $1,000  an  acre  and  to  make  interest  on  that  valuation 
he  must  get  a  considerably  larger  revenue  from  his  farm .  But  it  shows 
what  may  be  done  on  an  acreage  of  that  extent.  It  isn't  necessary 
to  invest  so  much  money  in  land  for  poultry. 

Farmer  "G"  with  788  acres  has  $12,000  less  investment  than 
farmer  "F"  on  twelve  acres,  the  difference  being  in  the  value  of  land. 
Farmer  "G"  with  no  pretence  of  running  a  special  poultry  farm  is 
getting  a  larger  net  revenue  from  his  farm  than  farmer  "F".  It 
might  of  course  be  possible  for  farmer  "F"  to  increase  his  flock  to 
such  an  extent  so  that  he  could  produce  on  the  same  acreage  double 
the  quantity  of  poultry  and  eggs  shown  in  this  table.  So  could  farmer 
"G"  produce  double  the  quantity,  and  he  could  do  it  at  very  much 
less  cost. 

Farmer  "E"  on  land  valued  at  $100  an  acre  is  making  very  satis- 
factory returns  on  40  acres.  He  did  it  in  a  modest  way,  caring  for 
only  300  fowls,  enough  with  a  little  live  stock,  to  use  up  all  the  grain 
produced  on  the  place.  To  increase  his  returns  it  would  only  be 
necessary  to  increase  his  flock  and  to  grow  more  food  on  the  farm, 
and  on  the  right  kind  of  land  40  acres  could  produce  much  more  feed 
and  more  fowls. 

The  returns  from  farms  "E"  and  "F"  show  a  great  margin  for 
profit  and  loss,  the  net  receipts  being  the  same  in  each  case,  though 
there  was  over  four  times  the  amount  of  capital  in  one  than  the 
other. 

Farm  "E"  shows  something  of  the  possibilities  of  practical  poultry- 
keeping.  This  is  a  medium  sized  farm  of  40  acres  where  poultry  is 
the  principal  or  practically  the  only  source  of  revenue  and  where 
the  food  is  all  produced  on  the  land.  Farm  "A"  is  also  worthy  of 
study  in  the  same  connection. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  great  bulk  of  poultry  products  is  produced 
on  general  farms  where  poultry  keeping  is  a  part  of  a  system  of  mixed 
husbandry. 

The  results  from  farm  "B"  indicate  the  possibilities  of  profit  where 
the  general  farmer  gives  considerable  attention  to  poultry-keeping 
without  making  it  the  leading  feature  of  the  farm.  The  average 
farm  in  Oregon  has  about  50  fowls.  Farmer  "B"  kept  300  fowls  and 
the  returns  from  the  300  were  nearly  equal  to  the  returns  from  field 
crops  or  live  stock,  and  it  would  be  an  interesting  point  to  learn  the 
comparative  value  of  the  poultry  compared  with  the  other  branches 
when  their  returns  were  figured  up  at  the  end  of  the  year.  On  a 
farm  of  300  acres  where  grain  crops  were  raised  and  milk  was  pro- 


OREGON  FARMER  93 

duced  there  would  be  little  additional  cost  in  keeping  300  fowls  in 
place  of  50,  so  that  the  profit  in  the  poultry  branch  of  the  farm  will 
be  comparatively  high. 

Poultry  and  Fruit. 

While  some  fruit  was  raised  on  the  other  farms  no  specialty  was 
made  of  fruit  raising.  Farms  "C"  and  "D"  show  what  can  be  done 
where  specialties  are  made  of  both  fruit  growing  and  poultry.  In 
the  case  of  farm  "C",  peach  growing  and  poultry  raising  were  both 
specialties,  though  the  peaches  were  the  principal  source  of  revenue 
in  1911,  there  being  $1,750  receipts  from  the  peaches  and  $902.50 
from  the  poultry.  The  fowls  were  allowed  to  run  in  the  orchard. 
Here  we  have  a  case  of  a  double  use  of  land,  and  the  experience  of 
this  farmer  fully  justifies  the  practice  of  combining,  under  proper 
conditions,  these  two  industries.  Of  the  14  acres,  12  are  in  peaches 
and  the  orchard  is  16  years  old.  The  owner  says:  "Lower  half  of 
orchard  apparently  greatly  benefited  by  poultry,  which  have  the  run 
of  it.  Marked  difference  in  color  of  foliage,  length  of  new  growth  and 
size  of  fruit.  Foliage  darker  green.  New  wood  growth  two-thirds 
times  as  much  and  fruit  one-fourth  larger."  He  says  that  he  had  a 
very  good  year  for  peaches  in  1911.  Another  significant  note  is: 
"Most  profitable  crop,  peaches;  surest  crop,  eggs." 

Farm  "D"  is  another  poultry  and  fruit  combination.  This  farm 
shows  very  satisfactory  returns  for  the  year  in  question.  On  31 
acres,  with  the  labor  of  two  regular  men  and  another  man  half  time, 
there  were  produced  in  poultry  products  and  fruit  a  total  of  $8,045.30. 
Deducting  the  operating  expenses  there  was  a  total  profit  of  $5,479.30, 
without  taking  into  account  interest  on  investment.  Deducting  the 
living  expenses  and  improvements  there  is  a  net  cash  gain  of  $4,554.30. 
Of  the  total  receipts,  poultry  and  eggs  furnished  $2,715.  The  number 
of  laying  hens  was  770.  There  is  a  variety  of  fruit  produced,  but  the 
largest  single  item  is  apples.  The  31  acres  are  practically  all  in 
fruit  of  some  kind.  In  addition  to  apples  there  is  a  considerable 
orchard  of  prunes  and  several  acres  of  berry  bushes,  chiefly  rasp- 
berries and  Loganberries.  All  the  green  food  for  the  chickens  is 
produced  on  the  place,  a  patch  of  kale  being  grown  and  vetch  some- 
times grown  among  the  trees.  This  farm  shows  good  management 
and  care.  The  fowls  are  kept  in  colony  houses  and  they  have  the 
range  of  the  orchard,  no  fences  being  used  except  during  the  breeding 
season  when  some  of  the  best  of  the  flock  are  yarded  for  producing 
eggs  for  hatching.  The  colony  houses  have  not  been  moved  since 
they  were  built.  The  result  of  this  has  been  that  the  berry  bushes 
close  to  the  houses  show  more  vigorous  growth  and  produce  better 
than  those  at  the  other  end  of  the  patch  where  the  chickens  seldom 
range. 

The  sales  from  the  fruit  were  nearly  double  those  from  the  poultry. 
The  following  year,  however,  on  account  largely  of  a  difference  in  the 
market  for  fruit,  the  receipts  from  the  poultry  exceeded  those 
from  the  orchard.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Jorgenson,  the 
owner  of  this  farm,  has  over  a  thousand  laying  hens  on  the  place. 


94  OREGON  FARMER 

No  attempt  has  been  made  to  produce  fancy  breeding  stock  and  the 
amount  received  from  the  poultry  was  made  wholly  by  selling  the 
product  at  market  prices,  the  price  for  eggs  ranging  from  45  cents  a 
dozen  to  20  cents.  About  $1,100  worth  of  feed  was  purchased  for 
the  fowls  so  that  the  profit  on  the  feed  purchased  was  over  $2.00  per 
fowl.  The  exact  figures  of  food  cost  cannot  be  given  because  a  small 
quantity  of  feed  was  produced  on  the  place.  The  owner's  estimate 
is  $1.50. 

The  value  of  the  poultry  and  eggs  produced  in  Oregon  in  1912 
amounted  to  about  $7,250,000  which  exceeded  the  values  for  fruit, 
oats,  barley,  potatoes,  wool,  or  hops.  In  spite  of  this  there  were 
large  importations  of  eggs  from  eastern  states  or  from  middle  west 
states.  In  1911  there  were  over  200  carloads  of  eggs  shipped  into 
Oregon.  There  has  been  great  development  of  the  poultry  industry 
during  the  past  few  years,  and  it  is  estimated  that  the  production  now 
is  between  three  and  four  million  dollars  greater  than  it  was  five  or 
six  years  ago.  Notwithstanding  this  great  increase  in  production 
the  prices  remain  about  the  same.  In  a  few  years  there  is  no  reason 
why  Oregon  should  not  produce  $20,000,000  worth  of  poultry  and 
eggs  a  year,  and  it  is  doubtful,  owing  to  the  great  increase  of  popula- 
tion on  the  Coast,  whether  with  this  increased  production  there  would 
be  much,  if  any,  decrease  in  the  prices  received  by  the  producers. 

As  has  been  explained  in  another  part  of  this  book,  Oregon  is  a 
large  state  in  area  and  the  climatic  conditions  are  varied.  In  fact 
most  any  kind  of  climate  outside  of  a  tropical  climate  may  be  found 
in  Oregon.  Table  A  on  page  86  shows  that  the  Willamette 
Valley  produces  a  large  proportion  of  the  poultry  and  eggs  in  this 
state.  This  shows  that  this  valley,  with  its  mild,  though  rainy 
winters,  is  a  good  poultry  section.  It  may  not  necessarily  mean  that 
the  Willamette  Valley  is  the  best  poultry  district  in  the  state.  It  is 
the  oldest  section  of  the  state  and  being  near  to  the  Portland  markets 
naturally  the  greatest  development  has  taken  place  here.  There  are 
other  valleys  or  sections  in  the  state,  I  believe,  that  are  equally 
adapted  for  profitable  poultry-keeping. 

To  show  something  of  the  possibilities  in  egg  production  in  Oregon 
I  may  mention  that  at  the  Oregon  Experiment  Station  some  of  the 
highest  egg  yields  in  the  United  States  have  been  secured.  There  is 
a  regularly  organized  Poultry  Department  at  the  Agricultural  College 
and  I  believe  it  has  been  fully  demonstrated  that  Oregon  is  as  good  as 
any  other  state  as  a  poultry  section.  Egg  records  as  high  as  259  in 
one  year  and  462  in  the  first  two  years  of  laying  have  been  secured. 
The  College  is  endeavoring  to  help  the  poultry-keepers  of  the  state  in 
various  ways.  It  is  furnishing  farmers  and  poultry  raisers  breeding 
stock  and  eggs  from  fowls  that  have  been  bred  from  heavy  producers 
for  several  generations.  In  another  way  it  is  helping  the  producers 
by  publishing  and  distributing  poultry  bulletins  dealing  with  different 
branches  of  the  industry.  Anyone  wishing  further  information  in 
regard  to  methods  of  poultry-keeping  in  this  state  should  write  to 
the  Poultry  Department  of  the  Agricultural  College  and  copies  of 
these  bulletins  will  be  sent  free  on  request. 


OREGON  FARMER  95 

BEE  CULTURE  IN  OREGON. 

By  H.  F.  WILSON, 
Research  Assistant  in  Entomology. 

ITH  such  data  as  we  have  at  hand,  it  would  be  impossible 
to  estimate  correctly  the  status  of  bee-keeping  in  Oregon. 
Many  farmers  keep  from  one  to  several  stands  for  home 
use,  and  in  all  parts  of  the  state  one  may  find  from  a  few  to  many 
colonies  that  not  only  furnish  honey  for  the  home  but  also 
give  a  market  surplus. 

In  looking  over  the  data  secured  in  this  survey,  one  might  be  led 
to  infer  that  most  of  our  honey  is  produced  in  Southern  Oregon, 
but  that  inference  is  misleading.  The  division  known  as  Central 
Oregon  probably  has  the  greater  number  of  large  commercial  apiaries, 
with  the  Columbia  Basin  second  and  Southern  Oregon  third.  These 
facts  are  not  shown  in  the  survey,  for  the  reason  that  it  was  taken 
as  a  general  farm  survey,  and  of  the  five  or  six  commercial  apiaries 
in  Southern  Oregon,  the  largest  happened  to  be  recorded.  In  the 
survey  of  Central  Oregon  it  so  happened  that  out  of  a  dozen  or  more 
commercial  apiaries,  only  two,  of  medium  size,  were  recorded. 
With  these  exceptions,  other  data  at  hand  show  that  the  average 
that  was  arrived  at,  is  fairly  representative  of  existing  conditions 
According  to  the  data  in  the  accompanying  table,  402  farms  reported 
bees;  a  total  of  1,637  farms  were  visited,  so  that  on  an  average,  one 
farm  out  of  every  four  has  bees. 

fegtThe  U.  S.  Census  for  1910  reports  one  farm  in  every  five  as  having 
bees,  but  during  the  last  two  years  the  number  of  colonies  has 
increased,  both  in  the  number  of  large  apiaries  and  in  the  number  on 
small  farms.  A  considerable  increase  is  due  to  the  number  secured 
by  orchardists  for  pollenization  purposes. 

With  data  on  hand  and  the  figures  from  the  U.  S.  Census  Report 
for  1910,  a  distribution  map  has  been  made  which  shows  some  very 
interesting  facts.  Each  figure  represents  1,000  colonies,  showing 
an  approximate  total  of  50,000  colonies  with  a  value  of  $250,000 . 00. 
The  writer  believes  that  with  the  present  average  prices,  an  average 
of  five  dollars  per  colony  is  not  too  high,  although  the  census  report 
gives  the  total  valuation  of  47,285  colonies  at  $150,164.00. 

Of  the  50,000  colonies,  less  than  20,000  are  found  outside  of  the 
Willamette  Valley  and  Coast  Divisions.  Apparently  then,  the 
honey  industry  is  in  Western  Oregon,  but  in  reality  only  about  one- 
half  as  much  honey  is  produced  in  these  two  divisions  as  in  the  others. 
Many  of  the  bees  in  the  first  two  sections  are  barely  self-supporting 
and  their  only  value  is  in  pollenizing  the  fruit  blossoms.  The  surplus 
gained  from  the  more  thrifty  colonies  is  generally  small.  The  large 
number  in  these  sections  is  due  to  the  number  of  small  farms  with 
from  one  to  thirty  colonies. 

Taking  the  state  as  a  whole,  individual  apiaries  produce  from  a 
few  pounds  to  a  carload  (figured  at  about  40,000  pounds).  The 
number  of  colonies  owned  by  individual  bee-keepers  varies  from  a 
few,  to  six  or  seven  hundred. 


96 


OREGON  FARMER 


DISTRIBUTION  OF  BEES 

50,000  COLONIES. 

EACH  FIGURE  (  9  )  INDICATES  IOOO  COLOr< 


_r-Ji 


In  addition  to  the  honey  producing  apiaries,  there  are  situated 
at  different  points  in  the  state,  queen  and  bee-rearing  apiaries. 

Discussing  each  region  separately,  we  find  that,  in  the  coas^ 
division,  some  of  the  finest  honey  produced  anywhere  is  secured 
from  wild  plants  such  as  vine  maple  (Acer  Circinatum),  and  a  plant 
known  as  firewood  (Epilobium  spicatum).  No  large  apiaries  are 
found  in  this  section  and  the  average  surplus  is  small.  Section 
honey  only  is  produced  and  only  a  small  amount  reaches  outside 
markets,  as  the  local  demand  is  greater  than  the  supply.  In  this 
section  climatic  conditions  regulate  to  a  great  extent  the  amount  of 
honey  produced.  Continued  rains  in  the  spring,  during  the  blossom- 
ing period  of  fruit  trees  and  other  plants,  often  result  in  a  decreased 
surplus. 

In  the  Willamette  Valley  section,  conditions  are  extremely  variable. 
In  the  valley  proper  there  are  no  commercial  apiaries  of  any  size, 
and  in  bad  years  many  bees  starve  in  the  fall  for  lack  of  stores. 
Several  men  in  this  section  have  found  that  it  is  more  desirable  to 
produce  extracted  honey,  as  the  bees  seem  to  gather  more  honey  in  this 
way  under  adverse  conditions.  Alfalfa  cannot  be  grown  with  success, 


OREGON  FARMER 


97 


and  since  there  are  not  many  flowering  plants  to  be  found  after  July 
first,  except  back  in  the  hills,  the  surplus  must  be  gathered  in  the 
spring.  Continued  spring  rains  are  also  a  factor  here  and  often- 
times the  blossoming  period  of  the  principal  honey-producing  plants 
passes  without  the  bees  being  able  to  spend  more  than  a  few  days 
in  gathering  honey.  Getting  back  onto  the  slopes  of  the  Coast 
Range  and  the  Cascade  Mountains,  more  favorable  conditions  are 
found  and  a  fair  surplus  can  usually  be  secured  from  the  more 
variable  honey-producing  plants  in  the  later  blooming  season. 

The  division  known  as  Southern  Oregon,  and  comprising  only 
three  counties,  is  different  from  the  other  sections  of  the  state  in 
that  the  region,  while  not  arid,  does  not  have  as  much  rain  as  the 
Willamette  Valley  and  Coast  divisions.  In  addition  to  several  wild 
honey  plants,  which  grow  abundantly  in  this  section,  alfalfa  is  grown 
successfully  and  fruit  bloom  offers  a  fine  pasturage  while  it  lasts. 

The  other  three  divisions,  Central  Oregon,  the  Blue  Mountain 
District,  and  Columbia  Basin,  have  conditions  which  are  practically 
the  same  so  far  as  bee-keeping  is  concerned.  That  the  bee-keeping 
industry  of  these  sections  is  in  its  infancy  can  hardly  be  doubted 
by  one  taking  a  trip  through  those  sections  where  alfalfa  can  be 
grown  successfully.  Here  is  also  found  a  vast  territory  which  at 
present  is  in  sage  brush,  but  may  some  day  be  planted  to  alfalfa, 
when  it  will  give  increased  area  for  bee  pasturage.  In  the  vicinity 
of  Ontario  and  Vale,  a  large  alfalfa  district,  one  can  find  some  of 
the  state's  largest'and  most  productive  apiaries.  Much  of  the  alfalfa 
is  grown  for  seed,  and  with  the  sweet  clover  which  grows  in  waste 
places  gives  an  ideal  pasturage  for  bees.  There  are  many  fine  apiary 
locations  in  different  sections  of  the  state,  but  all  of  these  should 
be  thoroughly  investigated  before  an  attempt  is  made  to  start  an 
apiary  in  any  one  of  them. 


STATISTICS  ON  BEE  ^CULTURE. 

Based  on  402  Reports. 


fl 

•3 

Division. 

I 

Beekeeping 
Successful. 

Colonies 
Profitable. 

Average  Price 
of  Honey. 

fit 

Total 

qn1~j 

M 

Yea. 

No. 

Yea. 

No. 

Comb. 

Ex'ctd. 

% 

fc 

Per  Ib. 

Per  Ib. 

Coast  Division 

75 

570 

67 

g 

472 

90 

12J-20c 

7  to  15c 

$    570  50 

Southern  Oregon  

70 
158 

982 
833 

55 
123 

15 
35 

829 
657 

133 
176 

12^-20c 
12f-20c 

7tol5c 
7  to  15c 

2,977.75 
679  45 

Willamette  Valley 

Columbia  Basin  

47 

994 

44 

3 

987 

7 

12J-20c 

7  to  lOc 

2367  50 

Blue  Mountain. 

19 

407 

17 

2 

370 

37 

12f-15c 

7  to  lOe 

1  009  50 

Central  Oregon  

33 

839 

33 

839 

12i-15c 

7  to  lOc 

1  605  00 

State  

402 

4605 

339 

63 

4154 

451 

12J-20c 

7tol5c 

$9,209.70 

OREGON  FARMER 


5  TO  20  ACRES 


O  ACRES 


8ITOI60  ACRES 


OVER  320  ACRES 


Percentages  of  Investment. 


OREGON  FARMER 


FARM  FINANCE. 

BY  J.  A.  BEXELL 
Dean  School  of  Commerce. 


|HAT  can  I  do  in  Oregon  with  a  given  capital?  How  much  is 
required  to  stock  a  farm  in  a  given  county?  What  income  can 
be  expected  on  a  given  investment  in  a  given  locality? 
These  are  questions  of  first  importance  to  the  prospective  settler. 
In  this  survey  an  attempt  was  made  to  find  accurate  answers  to  these 
and  many  other  questions  regarding  farm  finance.  The  results  are 
found  on  pages  99  to  106.  It  should  be  remembered  that  all  the  tables 
of  results  which  follow  are  from  the  reports  of  average  farmers  with 
average  experience  of  about  12  years  in  their  respective  localities. 
As  explained  on  page  5,  the  aim  of  the  survey  was  to  secure  reports 
from  farmers  in  average  circumstances,  and  working  under  average 
conditions  in  order  that  the  results  might  show,  not  only  what  can  be 
done,  but  what  are  usual  results  on  Oregon  farms. 

AVERAGE  ACREAGE  1911-12. 


Division. 

No.  of 
Reports. 

«i 

•sS 

*i 

§i 

04  <j 

oS 
gf 

n 

£4 

o| 

sf 

161-320 
Acres. 

*i 
<l 

Over  320  II 
Acres.  || 

Coast  Division  

3 
36 
35 
26 
10 
3 

20 
11 
15 
13 
12 
13 

25 
57 
161 
37 
10 
15 

61 
51 
52 
46 
39 
67 

52 

56 
44 
135 
28 
15 
39 

134 
133 
120 
140 
141 
146 

54 
46 
129 
22 
35 
47 

245 
235 
241 
255 
225 
278 

34 

42 
100 
146 
116 
94 

602 
812 
649 
2137 
2327 
1343 

Southern  Oregon  

Willamette  Valley  

Columbia  Basin  

Blue  Mountain 

Central  Oregon 

State  

113 

13 

295 

317 

131 

333 

248 

532 

153Y 

Average  Acreage  of  Farms  Reporting. 

In  tabulating  the  financial  data,  the  farms  were  divided  into  five 
groups,  as  follows:  5-20  acres,  21  to  80  acres,  81  to  160  acres,  161  to 
320  acres,  and  over  321  acres.  All  the  land  owned  is  included  in  the 
averages.  The  average  acreage  in  each  group  is  shown  in  the  above 
table  and  it  should  be  remembered,  in  reading  the  several  financial 
tables,  that  the  results  are  based  on  the  average  acreage  given  under 
each  division.  Thus  the  Coast  Division  averages  are  based  on  13,  52, 
131,  248  and  1,537  acre  farms.  The  common  claim  that  the  small 
farm  is  the  most  profitable  is  borne  out  by  the  table  on  page  104. 


100  OREGON  FARMER 

AVEEAGE  VALUE  OF  DWELLING  1911-1912. 


Division. 

S3 
£f 

51 

No.  of 
Reports.  | 

si 

*l 
*t 

M 

o| 
if 

161-320 
Acres. 

*s 

V 

Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin... 
Blue  Mountains.  . 
Central  Oregon.  .. 

3 

32 
36 
23 
10 
3 

$    700 
1247 
1149 
1331 
1320 
633 

26 
66 
166 
33 
9 
14 

$  994 

1177 
1216 
2096 
1037 
691 

64 
44 
130 
28 
11 
37 

$  1289 
1724 
1076 
1183 
1073 
629 

60 
46 
123 
22 
30 
46 

$  1038 
1666 
1609 
1046 
1472 
689 

33 
42 
99 
143 
96 
8? 

$  1123 
1669 
1764 
1461 
1804 
1289 

State... 

106 

$  1204 

282 

$  1303 

304 

$  1176 

316 

$  1240 

600 

$  1649 

Average  Value  of  Dwelling. 

The  average  value  of  the  dwelling  in  different  parts  of  the  state  is  of 
interest  chiefly  because  it  indicates  largely  the  etate  of  development 
in  the  different  sections,  and  also  what  will  probably  be  required  of 
the  prospective  settler  in  the  different  localities.  In  the  state 
averages,  it  does  not  appear  that  the  size  of  the  farm  has  much  effect 
on  the  value  of  the  dwelling,  the  average  being  $1,204,  $1,303,  $1,176, 
$1,240,  and  $1,549  in  the  different  sizes  of  farms.  The  variation  is 
considerable  in  the  various  divisions  of  the  state,  ranging  from  $533 
in  Central  Oregon  to  $2,096  in  the  Columbia  Basin. 

AVERAGE  VALUE  OF  LIVE  STOCK  1911-12. 


Division. 

*5 

£| 

M 

*s 

£f 

M 

No.  of 
Reports. 

il 

ot! 

*f 

§* 

sS 

o§ 
gf 

5« 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin  .  . 
Blue  Mountain 

3 

26 
36 
36 

$    771 

271 
400 
298 

36 
66 
138 
46 

$  1369 
747 
863 
697 

66 
43 
121 
32 

10 

$  2187 
1694 
1697 
1603 
4691 

62 
46 
112 
30 
26 

$  2281 
1958 
2196 
1637 
2888 

44 
40 
90 
168 
94 

$  4141 
3039 
3699 
6661 
14007 

Central  Oregon.  .. 

8 

333 

14 

766 

38 

2162 

47 

2676 

90 

12836 

State  

102 

$    341 

288 

$    878 

310 

$  1887 

322 

$  2266 

616 

$  8030 

Value  of  Live  Stock. 

The  live  stock  industry  is  one  of  the  most  important  in  Oregon.  Its 
general  aspects  are  fully  discussed  by  Professor  Potter  on  page  15; 
the  dairy  industry  by  Professor  Kent  on  page  25;  and  poultry 
husbandry  on  page  85  by  Professor  Dryden. 

The  above  table  shows  the  value  of  live  stock  on  the  several  sized 
farms.  The  state  averages  are  $341,  $878,  $1,887,  $2,255,  and 
$8,030,  according  to  the  several  sizes  of  farms.  These  amounts  are 
3.6%,  4.7%,  8.2%,  8.1%  and  14.9%  of  the  respective  total  invest- 
ments, as  shown  in  the  table  on  page  108.  When  it  is  remembered 
that  the  large  farms  greatly  predominate,  these  rates  are  confirmed 


OREGON  FARMER 


101 


by  the  last  census,  which  places  the  state  average  of  live  stock  at  11.3 
per  cent,  of  the  total  value  of  farm  property. 

AVERAGE  VALUE  ^OF    IMPLEMENTS    AND    MACHINERY    1911-12. 


Division 

^ 

«£ 

*l 

,j 

ot! 

§8 

*l 

9f 

oS 

§, 

ss 

"1 

*£ 

£J 

oo  «^ 

** 

**£ 

o< 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin.. 
Blue  Mountain... 
Central  Oregon.  .. 

2 
34 
35 
22 
10 
3 

$    100 

216 
220 
265 
200 
200 

25 
56 
149 
33 
9 
11 

$    287 
379 
443 
828 
359 
249 

56 
43 
131 
28 
11 
35 

$  437 
607 
554 
613 
678 
491 

52 
44 
126 
21 
32 
45 

$  425 
853 
826 
459 
394 
683 

34 
40 
99 
145 
101 
89 

$    532 
721 
1127 
1641 
840 
1227 

State    

106 

$    223 

285 

$    448 

304 

$    629 

320 

$    663 

508 

$  1163 

Value  of  Implements  and  Machinery. 

A  full  discussion  of  farm  management  is  found  on  page  33  by 
Professor  Scudder.  In  this  connection,  however,  it  is  interesting  to 
note  the  report  of  the  last  census.  On  the  subject  of  farm  property 
we  read:  "The  total  wealth  of  the  state  in  form  of  farm  property  is 
528  million  dollars  of  which  86.2  per  cent  is  represented  in  land  and 
buildings,  11.3  per  cent  by  live  stock,  and  2.5  per  cent  by  implements 
and  machinery."  The  percentage  of  implements  and  machinery  is 
remarkably  close  to  those  found  in  this  survey  on  the  different  sized 
farms.  The  state  average  in  tables  on  pages  101  and  103  are  as  follows : 
On  a  5  to  20  acre  farm  the  implements  and  machinery  are  2.4  per 
cent,  of  the  total  capital;  on  21  to  80  acres,  2.4  per  cent;  81  to  160 
acres,  2.3  per  cent;  161  to  320  acres,  2.4  per  cent;  and  above  320 
acres,  2.1  per  cent.  The  averages  are  fairly  uniform  in  the  several 
divisions  of  the  state.  The  variations  in  the  values  of  machinery 
are,  doubtless,  due  mainly  to  the  different  types  of  farming;  and  to 
the  variations  in  estimating  value  by  the  different  farmers.  The 
state  averages  are  $223,  $448,  $529,  $663,  and  $1,163,  according  to 
the  size  of  the  farm,  as  shown  in  the  above  table. 

AVERAGE  GROSS  INCOME  1911-12. 


Division. 

°i5 
£| 

!| 

*s5 
gf 

*8 
~< 

*i 
if 

U 

**  2 
os 

g| 

?j 

i« 

o| 

<i 

Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin... 
Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 
Central  Oregon... 

3 
35 
35 
25 
10 
3 

$    786 

1419 
1451 
2399 
2580 
1617 

25 
67 
150 
33 
9 
14 

$  1743 
1880 
2474 
5656 
3600 
1462 

56 
43 
131 
29 
14 
34 

$  2176 
3076 
2970 
3318 
2913 
1891 

64 
46 
125 
22 
29 
45 

$  2163 
3991 
3487 
6996 
3638 
1940 

35 

41 
101 
146 
102 
90 

$  2666 
6893 
7800 
7674 
7829 
6133 

State 

111 

$  1738 

?ftO 

$  2625 

307 

$  2761 

891 

$3296 

515 

$  6978 

102 


OREGON  FARMER 


Average  Gross  Gash  Income. 

The  average  gross  income  on  the  different  sized  farms  is  found  in 
the  foregoing  table.  It  is  based  on  1,544  reports.  The  smallest 
farm  averaging  13  acres,  shows  a  cash  income  of  $1,738.00,  and  the 
largest,  532  acres,  $6,938.00.  The  last  average  is  based  on  the  larger 
number  of  reports,  and  may,  therefore,  be  regarded  as  the  most 
reliable.  The  gross  income  includes  only  cash  sales  of  products, 
and,  in  a  few  instances,  returns  for  outside  labor.  No  account  was 
taken  of  the  products  used  by  the  family,  and  sales  of  land  and  other 
capital  goods  were  excluded. 


AVERAGE  CAPITAL  INVESTED  1911-12. 


Division. 

°5 

*f 

M 

oS 

sf 

?8 
~< 

o£ 
jgf 

§g 

z% 

of! 
gf 

161-320 
Acres. 

*•*  £ 
ot, 

*i 

Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin... 
Blue  Mountain.  .  . 
Central  Oregon..  . 

State    

3 

36 
35 
25 
10 
3 

$  7471 
8391 
8774 
11590 
11060 
7150 

25 
56 
150 
35 
9 
14 

$18976 
14005 
16479 
37740 
21058 
10595 

55 
44 
134 
28 
11 
37 

$20776 
22807 
24607 
29789 
32116 
12827 

53 
45 
126 
22 
30 
47 

$25357 
40087 
31864 
25504 
18677 
15893 

34 
40 
99 
147 
99 
90 

$25323 
47254 
59922 
53154 
44153 
57156 

112 

$  9405 

289 

$18648 

309 

$23012 

323 

$27960 

509 

$53561 

Average  Investment. 

In  the  capital  invested  is 
included  land,  buildings,  live 
stock,  implements,  and  a  mod- 
erate cash  balance.  Household 
goods,  automobiles,  and  per- 
sonal property  not  connected 
with  the  business  end  of  farming 
are  excluded.  When  the  dwell- 
ing was  reported  above  a  fair 
proportion  of  the  total  invest- 
ment, the  excess  was  deducted, 
since  only  a  reasonable  amount 
should  be  charged  to  the  busi- 
ness. This  often  happened  on 
the  small  farms,  where  a  $3,000 
to  $5,000  dwelling  is  not  un- 
common in  some  parts  of  the  state.  As  will  be  seen  from  above 
table,  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  capital  is  invested  in  land. 
As  would  be  expected,  this  varies  almost  directly  as  the  size  of  the 
farm  increases,  even  in  spite  of  the  high  valuation  of  the  land  in 
the  small  acreage  farms. 


OREGON  FARMER 
AVERAGE  FAMILY  EXPENSES  1911-12. 


103 


Division. 

*f 

*i 

l\ 

oS 
If 

sj 

*i 
<! 

?! 
s3 

oS 

e] 

U 

*5 
*f 

Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin... 
Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 
Central  Oregon.  .. 

3 
37 
33 

24 
10 
2 

$    267 
448 
337 
439 
319 
425 

22 
67 
129 
31 
8 
17 

$    435 
483 
382 
444 
353 
214 

47 
44 
117 
25 
8 
42 

$  423 
678 
357 
433 
650 
320 

50 
46 
103 
21 
27 
45 

$  374 
588 
441 
478 
566 
323 

33 

42 
83 
141 
86 
89 

$  459 
479 
424 
739 
841 
604 

State     

109 

$    394 

264 

$    393 

283 

$    409 

292 

$  452 

474 

$    635 

Average  Family  Expenses. 

The  family  expenses  include  all  items  of  cash  outlay  commonly 
regarded  as  living  expenses.  The  principal  items  were  groceries  and 
clothing.  A  maximum  of  $50  was  allowed  for  each  of  the  following 

classes  of  expenditures,  if  reported 
at  all:  medical;  recreation,  includ- 
ing traveling,  and  educational  ex- 
penses. Very  much  larger  amounts 
were  reported  in  some  cases  for 
this  class  of  expenses,  but  they 
I  were  regarded  extraordinary  and 
consequently  reduced.  In  the 
'majority  of  cases,  the  amounts 
reported  were  less  than  $50  under 
each  class.  There  appears  to  be 
a  very  slight  difference  between 
the  family  expenses  on  the  different 
sized  farms  below  160  acres.  The 
state  average  of  the  next  two  large 
classes  of  farms  is  $552  to  $635  respectively.  The  above  table  gives 
a  complete  summary  of  the  reports. 

AVERAGE  FAMILY  INCOME  1911-12. 


Division. 

°5 
£| 

M 

32 

s| 

!§ 

M  <j 

ot! 

s| 

U 

o| 

M 

9* 

sl 

*t 

«| 

Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin... 
Blue  Mountain.  .  . 
Central  Oregon.  .. 

3 

24 
28 
22 
9 

$  358 
891 
852 
1709 
1487 

25 
40 
133 
31 
11 
9 

$    857 
1134 
1511 
3751 
2138 
780 

53 
29 
119 
23 
14 
30 

$  1179 
1528 
1762 
1658 
1504 
1088 

61 
37 
119 
20 
28 
3ft 

$  1131 
1959 
1908 
2373 
1358 
901 

31 
34 
87 
133 
94 
7fi 

$  1313 
3447 
4307 
3841 
4193 
2834 

State  

86 

$  1132 

249 

$  1665 

268 

$  1524 

287 

$  1644 

454 

3642 

104 


OREGON  FARMER 


Average  Family  Income. 

The  family  incomes  as  shown  in  the  table  were  obtained  as  follows : 
From  the  net  income,  or  the  amount  remaining  after  the  business 

expenses  were  deducted  from  the 
gross  income,  was  deducted  the 
the  total  living  expenses,  the  re- 
mainder being  the  net  family  in- 
come. The  total  family  expenses 
were  taken  just  as  given  by  the 
farmer,  except  that  not  more  than 
$50  was  allowed  for  each  of  the 
following:  education,  recreation, 
and  doctor  bills.  Expressed  in 
another  way,  the  farmer  was 
allowed  the  living  of  himself  and 
family  except  that  a  limit  of  $50 
was  placed  on  recreation,  education 
and  medical  bills.  No  limit  was 
placed  on  clothing  or  household  bills.  Thus  the  family  income  includes 
the  interest  on  the  capital  invested  and  wages  for  the  family  labor. 

In  every  case  the  per  cent  of  net  profit  or  loss  was  figured  on  the 
value  as  given  by  the  farmer;  and  in  nearly  every  case  the  value  was 
about  one-half  greater  than  the  value  five  years  ago.  In  the  case  of 
stock  farms,  a  report  often  showed  a  large  receipt  for  stock  sold;  or 
a  large  payment  for  stock  bought.  In  the  absence  of  inventories  at 
the  beginning  and  end  of  the  year,  it  was  impossible  to  tell  what  part 
of  the  receipts  from  a  sale  was  a  profit  and  what  part  original  cost. 
For  instance,  a  man  could  sell  all  his  stock  and  show  large  receipts, 
increasing  the  per  cent  gain  for  the  year.  But  he  would  be  making 
an  alleged  profit  by  reducing  his  capital.  It  was  considered  that  for 
all  persons  interviewed,  the  total  stock  owned  by  them  would  be 
constant,  or  about  the  same  at  the  beginning  as  at  the  end  of  the 
year.  Also  that  the  total  sales  less  the  total  purchases  would  leave 
the  total  net  profit  on  the  stock  bought  and  sold  by  the  stock  raisers. 
It  is  believed  that  the  number  averaged  were  sufficient  to  offset 
possible  errors  in  such  cases. 

AVERAGE  RATE  OP  PROFIT,  INCLUDING  FAMILY  LABOR  1911-12. 


Division. 

o? 
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6  p, 
^tf 

Si 

N^ 

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8§ 

•*  § 

co<] 

o£ 

<1 

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Over  320 
Acres. 

Coast  Division  
Southern  Oregon. 
Willamette  Valley. 
Columbia  Basin  .  . 
Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 
Central  Oregon 

3 
23 
28 
22 
9 

?„ 

7.70 
7.37 
10.22 
14.28 

25 
40 
132 
32 
10 
9 

% 

4.92 
8.41 
8.36 
7.97 
8.89 
7.04 

52 
29 
117 
22 
13 
27 

6%63 
4.84 
7.00 
8.46 
7.41 
8.74 

50 
37 
116 
19 
28 
31 

a, 

5.07 
6.80 
9.90 
6.68 
6.49 

31 
34 
84 
132 
92 
71 

% 
5.00 
6.71 
5.19 
8.77 
8.24 
4.45 

State  

85 

9.06 

248 

7.96 

260 

6.99 

281 

6.68 

444 

7.09 

OREGON  FARMER  105 

Average  Rate  of  Profit  and  Family  Labor. 

The  Oregon  farmer  is  prosperous.  He  is  making  a  good  living  and 
a  reasonable  rate  of  interest  on  his  investment.  This  is  the  central 
fact  which  appears  from  the  table  herewith.  It  does  not  matter 
which  division  is  showing  the  largest  rate  of  profit.  That  depends 
largely  on  the  valuation  placed  on  the  land,  but  the  important  fact 
which  appears  evident  is  that  in  every  section  of  the  state,  well 
managed  farms  are  returning  a  satisfactory  profit  on  the  capital 
invested. 

It  may  be  objected  that  since  the  rates  given  include  the  family 
labor,  in  many  cases,  the  rate  of  profit  would  be  reduced  to  a  minus 
quantity  were  the  family  labor  paid  a  reasonable  wage.  This  would 
doubtless  be  true  in  some  instances,  but  would  not  hold  as  an  average 
of  a  large  number  of  farms.  The  value  of  a  comfortable  living, 
including  dwelling,  clothing,  food,  schooling,  doctor  bills  and  many 
luxuries,  and  a  fair  allowance  for  recreation,  is  more  than  the  average 
mechanic  enjoys  in  town,  to  say  nothing  of  a  steady  increase  in  land 
values.  The  last  census  shows  a  rise  in  land  values  of  considerably 
over  200%  in  every  section  of  the  state.  (See  table  on  page  107). 


OVER320 


The  average  value  of  the  dwelling,ras  shown  in  the'  table  on  page 
100,  would  be  more  than  double  added.  Ordinary  driving  vehicles 
and  horses,  and  many  items  of  capital  were  included  which  no  one 
would  think  of  charging  to  the  operating  expenses  of  any  other  kind 
of  business.  To  rent  as  good  a  home  and  save  as  much  as  the  average 
Oregon  farmer  has  saved  would  require  an^  income  far  in  excess  of 
the  wages  of  an  ordinary  mechanic  or  small  trader.  Add_  to  <  this 
the  joy  of  an  independent  vocation,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that 
the  average  farm  offers  far  greater  advantages  than  most  other  voca- 
tions. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  a  discussion  of  the  results  found 
in  the  different  sections.  The  results  are,  of  course,  only  close 
approximations.  One  thing  stands  out  clearly,  and  that  is,  the  small 
farm  is  the  most  profitable  in  many  parts  of  the  state  while  the  larger 
farm  is  the  profitable  unit  in  Eastern  and  Central  Oregon. 

Only  one  rate  requires  special  explanation.  I  refer  to  the  profit 
of  over  fourteen  per  cent  on  the  small  farms  in  the  Columbia  Basin. 
This  must  be  due  largely  to  a  number  of  highly  productive  irrigated 
farms  in  the  Freewater,  Milton,  Cove,  and  Hood  River  districts. 


106 


OREGON  FARMER 


This  is  more  fully  explained  under  the  horticultural  section,  page  71. 
The  principal  reason  for  the  high  rate  of  profit  on  the  small  farms  in 
this  section  is,  doubtless,  due  principally  to  irrigation,  and  to  the 
variety  of  many  crops  found  on  most  of  these  small  farms.  On 
page  82,  is  described  two  of  these  farms  which  illustrate  this  point. 
For  a  graphical  representation  of  the  state  averages,  see  table  page  104. 

STATISTICS  ON  BUSINESS  METHODS  1911-12. 


Division. 

Reports  showing 
Bank  Account. 

Reports  showing 
Records  Kept. 

No. 
Reports. 

Per 
Cent. 

No. 
Reports. 

Per 
Cent. 

Coast  Division  

174 
187 
638 
251 
175 
196 

89 
95 
94 
95 
95 
89 

174 
174 
528 
246 
180 
194 

42 
77 
38 
30 
30 
33 

Southern  Oregon  

Willamette  Valley  

Columbia  Basin  
Blue  Mountain  

Central  Oregon 

State  

1,521 

93 

1,496 

48 

Business  Methods. 

The  claim  that  the  farmer  is  more  careless  regarding  his  business 
methods  than  any  other  class  of  business  men  was  doubtless  once 
true,  but  there  are  indications  that  this  condition  is  rapidly  changing. 
No  other  subject  has  received  more  attention  in  the  last  few  years  by 
educators  and  economists  throughout  the  United  States  than  the 
Business  Side  of  Farming.  Farm  Credit  and  Finance  have  become 
international  issues;  marketing  and  distribution  of  farm  products  are 
receiving  increased  attention.  Every  educational  institution  from  the 
Agricultural  College  down  to  the  cross  road  school  is  emphasizing 
this  important  subject. 

Two  questions  were  asked  in  the  survey  for  the  purpose  of  ascertain- 
ing the  business  methods  of  the  Oregon  farmer,  and  the  reports  were 
truly  surprising.  The  questions  were :  (1).  Do  you  keep  permanent 
records  of  your  business  transactions?  and  (2)  Do  you  keep  a  bank 
account?  Nearly  1,500  answers  were  secured  to  the  first  question 
and  1,521  to  the  second.  In  the  above  table  it  appears  that  93 
out  of  every  100  farmers  interviewed  keep  a  bank  account,  and  that 
48  out  of  every  100  keep  some  kind  of  financial  records.  This  is  a 
showing  of  which  Oregon  may  be  justly  proud;  since  it  reflects  in  a 
large  measure  the  intelligence  and  character  of  the  farming  popula- 
tion. Professor  Warren,  in  his  survey  of  Tompkins  County,  New 
York,  estimates  that  45  per  cent  of  the  farmers  in  that  county  keep 
records — a  rather  remarkable  similarity  of  results  as  compared  with 
this  survey. 

This  table  also  shows  remarkable  uniformity  throughout 
the  state,  especially  in  regard  to  banking  practice,  two  divisions 
showing  95%,  one  94%  and  two  89%.  Southern  Oregon  shows  a 
decided  lead  in  regard  to  record  keeping. 


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108 


OREGON  FARMER 


Every  railroad  company  doing  business  in  Oregon  pays  special  attention  to  the 
development  of  the  agricultural  industry  in  the  State  and  works  through  all  possible 
channels  for  its  encouragement.  Every  transportation  company  has  exceptional 
opportunities  for  the  small  farmer.  They  make  liberal  provision  for  handling  the 
products  between  railroad  stations  and  consumers  of  the  products  in  the  cities. 


OREGON  FARMER  109 

COUNTRY  LIFE  IN  OREGON. 

By  HECTOR  MACPHERSON, 
Professor  of  Economics. 


3N  the  tables  accompanying  this  chapter,  we  have  condensed  the 
main  social  facts  brought  out  by  the  Preliminary  Rural  Survey 
of  our  state.  The  critical  student  will  see  at  a  glance  that  the 
material  is  too  scanty  to  afford  the  basis  for  a  very  satisfactory 
discussion  of  country  life.  In  fact,  life  in  either  country  or  city, 
in  Oregon  as  elsewhere,  is  too  big  and  too  complex  to  be  reduced 
to  such  simple  statistical  form.  Valuable  material  may  be  so  expressed ; 
but  the  collection  of  adequate  statistical  information  on  country  life 
would  entail  an  investigation  much  broader  in  scope  and  more 
minute  in  detail  than  the  Oregon  Statistical  Bureau  was  able  to 
undertake  in  this  preliminary  survey. 

However,  every  field  man  was  required  to  write  up  a  general 
report  on  each  neighborhood  visited;  and,  while  the  information 
contained  in  these  reports  is  not  of  a  nature  which  admits  of  tabula- 
tion, it  contains  many  interesting  side-lights  on  country  life  in  all 
parts  of  the  state. 

Besides,  the  writer  has  freely  used  such  material  as  was  available 
from  the  recently  published  Oregon  Almanac,  advance  sheets  of 
the  1910  Census,  Histories  of  Oregon,  and  personal  interviews  with 
men  familiar  with  country  life  in  all  parts  of  the  state. 

The  People  and  Their  Heritage. 

The  essential  factors  in  the  upbuilding  of  a  high  type  of  rural 
civilization  are  two:  the  environment  and  the  people.  Both  these 
factors  are  equally  important.  In  a  harsh,  barren  and  unproductive 
country,  the  finest  human  ]  type  cannot  be  developed  in  sufficient 
numbers  to  make  social  progress  possible.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
most  bountiful  natural  resources,  may  go  to  waste  for  ages  under  the 
control  of  an  unprogressive  population. 

In  both  the  elements  essential  to  progress,  Oregon  is  already 
richly  endowed.  In  natural  resources,  she  has  a  splendid  heritage. 
Of  her  immense  area  of  97,699  square  miles,  it  is  estimated  that  there 
are  about  23,000,000  acres  suited  to  agriculture.  A  glance  at  the 
accompanying  diagram  and  explanatory  key  will  show  the  present 
distribution  of  Oregon's  land  area. 

In  all  probability,  the  time  will  come  when  half  of  this  61,000,000 
acres  will  be  carefully  cultivated.  At  least,  when  one  thinks  of  the 
beautifully  terraced  hillsides  in  the  mountain  districts  of  Italy, 
Switzerland,  France,  and  Germany,  one  cannot  but  have  a  vision 
of  our  Western  Oregon  foothills  clothed  in  fruitful  trees,  vines  and 
shrubs;  and  imagine  he  hears  the  mountains  ringing  with  the  shouts 
and  laughter  of  a  healthy,  freedom  loving,  population. 

But  with  23,000,000  acres  of  arable  land  to  till,  we  shall  have  little 
reason  to  resort  to  terraced  hill-sides  for  many  years  to  come.  On  an 


110 


OREGON  FARMER 


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area  of  less  than  10,000,000  acres  of  much  poorer  land  Denmark 
has  built  up  one  of  the  most  prosperous  nations  in  the  world,  with 
a  population  four  times  as  great  as  we  now  have  in  Oregon. 
But  the  reader  who  has  weighed  the  facts  of  the  preceding  chapters, 
will  have  been  convinced  that  Oregon  is  capable  of  supporting  ten 
times  its  present  population,  without  at  all  crowding  its  splendid 
natural  resources. 

Possessing  one-fifth  of  the  standing  timber  of  the  United  States, 
with  fisheries  returning  over  $6,000,000  last  year,  with  mineral 
resources  of  undoubted  value  though  largely  unexplored,  and  having 
streams  with  3,300,000  electrical  horse  power  waiting  to  be  harnessed, 
surely  Oregon's  agriculture  ought  to  be  well  supported  by  other 
industries  giving  encouragement  to  the  fullest  utilization  of  her 
agricultural  resources  by  markets  right  at  home. 


OREGON  FARMER  111 

Climate. 

Along  with  her  fertile  soil  and  abundant  natural  resources,  the 
climate  of  Oregon  is  an  attraction  to  people  of  the  East.  Those  who 
have  breasted  the  cyclone,  braved  the  flood,  hibernated  through 
frigid  winters,  and  panted  in  the  shade  through  sweltering  summers, 
are  sure  to  welcome  a  change  to  the  genial  winters  and  cool  bracing 
summers  of  Oregon.  To  be  sure,  some  complain  of  the  rainy  months 
of  the  Western  Oregon  winter.  Some  even  return  after  the  first 
year  to  their  old  home  in  the  East;  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten, 
they  find  their  former  haunts  have  lost  their  charm,  and  they  return 
to  Oregon  poorer  but  wiser  men. 

Let  them  but  remain  a  couple  of  winters,  until  the  proverbial 
web  has  begun  to  unite  the  toes  of  each  foot  into  a  congenial  group, 
then  they  will  never  be  anything  else  but  Western  Oregonians. 
They  turn  blue  under  two  degrees  of  frost,  shiver  at  the  thought  of 
an  Eastern  winter,  and  blossom  out  in  rosy  cheeks  during  the  steady 
rains  of  December  and  January.  In  fact,  we  are  all  agreed  out  here 
that  rain  suits  us  much  better  than  snow.  It  makes  the  kale  heads 
large  and  succulent  for  our  poultry  and  dairy  cows.  It  keeps  the 
grass  on  our  hillsides  fresh  and  green  to  delight  the  eye,  and  feed 
our  flocks  of  sheep  and  Angora  goats.  Should  anyone,  however, 
wish  to  escape  the  winter  rains,  he  has  but  to  cross  the  Cascades. 
Here  he  will  find  a  climate  combining  the  best  features  of  the  East, 
but  free  alike  from  its  sweltering  heat  and  benumbing  cold. 

Another  feature  of  the  Oregon  climate  which  appeals  to  most 
Eastern  people  is  its  freedom  from  dangerous  or  damaging  storms. 
The  man  who  has  braved  the  tornado  and  breasted  the  flood,  will 
find  here  a  haven  where  even  severe  electrical  storms  seldom  or 
never  occur. 

No  better  commentary  could  be  required  on  the  climate  of  Oregon 
than  is  afforded  by  the  health  statistics  of  her  population.  According 
to  the  report  of  Dr.  Calvin  S.  White,  Secretary  Oregon  State  Board 
of  Health,  "Oregon  ranks  highest  among  the  states  of  the  Union 
in  the  low  rate  of  mortality,  the  annual  death  rate  for  the  year  1911, 
for  Portland,  where  the  official  record  is  kept,  being  9.47  per  1000  of 
population".  Again  he  says:  "Our  infant  mortality  is  almost 
incredibly  low,  and  the  boy  or  girl  born  into  Oregon  has  every  likeli- 
hood of  attaining  a  ripe  old  age." 

The  People  of  Oregon. 

It  has  been  said  that  there  is  no  other  western  state  in  which  the 
Easterner  feels  so  much  at  home  as  he  does  in  Oregon.  Such  a  state- 
ment contains  both  truth  and  falsehood.  It  is  true  that  the  wild- 
ness  and  wooliness  of  the  frontier,  which  has  left  certain  marks  of 
its  crudity  upon  a  large  part  of  our  American  West,  made  little  or 
no  impression  on  Oregon.  It  is  also  noteworthy  that  in  the  serious 
moral  tone  of  its  inhabitants,  Oregon  compares  favorably  with  the 
most  straight-laced  sections  of  the  East. 


112  OREGON  FARMER 

But  when  we  come  to  sound  the  undercurrents  of  Oregon  life, 
we  find  that  it  parts  company  radically  with  life  in  the  East.  Oregon 

Cple  are  just  as  moral  as  those  of  the  older  Eastern  states;  but 
e  less  of  prudishness.  They  are  more  courteous,  on  the  average, 
but  less  snobbish.  They  support  what  is  best  in  the  institutions 
of  the  East,  but  refuse  to  be  enslaved  by  the  machinery  of  those 
institutions.  Oregonians  are  fairly  conservative;  but  they  never 
bar  progress  by  a  reverence  for  what  is  old  merely  because  it  is  old. 
Nor  do  they  condemn  the  new  for  no  other  reason  than  that  it  is 
new. 

In  brief,  we  may  say  that  when  an  institution  or  a  law  is  honestly 
framed  to  blaze  out  new  trails  for  the  pathway  of  progress,  it  will 
look  long  ere  it  finds  more  sympathetic  and  intelligent  consideration 
than  it  will  receive  from  the  people  of  Oregon. 

To  realize  the  truth  of  these  bald  statements,  it  will  be  necessary 
to  recall  a  few  facts  of  Oregon  history.  First  of  all,  we  must  remem- 
ber that,  paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  Oregon  is  an  old  new  state. 
Six  years  before  the  discovery  of  gold  had  started  the  indiscriminate 
throngs  of  fortune  hunters  on  their  mad  race  for  California,  the  basis 
for  Oregon's  population  was  being  laid  under  much  more  favorable 
circumstances. 

The  latter  thirties  and  earlier  forties,  saw  the  rapid  settlement 
of  the  Middle  West  and  South  West  which  followed  the  opening  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  and  the  development  of  steam  navigation  on  the 
Mississippi.  It  was  an  era  of  scant  markets  and  an  oversupply  of 
agricultural  products.  The  people  were  restless;  and  the  westward 
impulse  was  strong  in  every  breast.  Glowing  accounts  of  lands 
nearer  the  setting  sun,  and  especially  of  the  almost  unknown  Oregon 
country,  stirred  impulse  into  action. 

Moved  as  by  a  common  instinct,  there  assembled  in  the  spring 
of  1843,  at  Independence,  Missouri,  a  band  of  about  875  men,  women, 
and  children,  eager  to  set  out  for  the  land  beyond  the  mountains. 
They  began  their  journey  May  20,  1843,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
the  advance  guards  descended  upon  their  land  of  promise,  the  Will- 
amette Valley. 

Although  stragglers  and  small  groups  had  settled  in  Oregon 
previous  to  this  migration,  the  influx  of  1843  marks  the  real  beginning 
of  the  American  occupations  of  the  territory  then  under  dispute 
between  Great  Britain  and  the  United  States.  The  year  1844  saw 
about  1400  more  Americans  added  to  their  ranks;  and  the  following 
year,  they  were  joined  by  a  new  influx  of  about  3,000  men,  women 
and  children. 

Whatever  may  be  our  convictions  on  some  of  the  much  disputed 
points  of  this  period  of  our  history,  it  seems  to  me  that  we  must 
acknowledge  this  tide  of  immigration  to  have  been  an  element  in 
settling  this  question  of  ownership  of  the  Oregon  country.  But 
apart  from  whatever  influence  it  may  have  had  in  determining  the 


OREGON  FARMER  113 

question  of  the  flags,  this  immigration  was  a  momentous  occurrence 
in  moulding  the  future  of  the  North  West  and  especially  of  Oregon. 
It  provided  the  ancestry  for  a  large  proportion  of  our  present 
population.  It  laid  the  foundation  for  that  serious  moral  purpose- 
fulness  which  is  one  of  the  distinctive  characteristics  of  Oregonian 
character. 

On  this  foundation  stock  for  the  Oregon  breed  of  men  and  women, 
F.  V.  Holman,  in  his  "Dr.  John  McLpughlin",  (p.  84),  writes  as 
follows:  "A  great  majority  of  the  immigrants  to  Oregon  from  1843 
to  1846,  inclusive,  and  some  of  the  later  immigrants,  were  from  the 
Southern  States.  They,  and  their  ancestors  for  many  generations, 
had  been  born  and  brought  up  in  the  South.  Most  of  them  had 
the  good  qualities  and  were  of  the  high  type  of  American  citizenship 
characteristic  of  the  white  people  of  the  South.  They  were  mostly 
plain  people,  but  they  and  their  ancestry  were  of  good  class.  Theirs 
was  an  inheritance  of  indomitable  will,  high  courage  and  noble 
purposes.  Their  ancestors  had  conquered,  settled,  and  upbuilded 
the  country  from  the  seaboards  of  Virginia  and  the  Carolinas  to  the 
Mississippi  River.  Oregon  was  another  land  to  conquer,  to  settle 
and  to  upbuild". 

These  earliest  settlers  took  their  choice  of  the  best  lands,  and 
their  descendants  now  form  a  large  percentage  of  the  wealthier, 
more  conservative  elements  in  our  population.  They  have  pros- 
pered and  multiplied,  until,  their  children  and  children's  children 
are  to  be  found  in  every  walk  of  life.  Although  many  of  the  younger 
generation  have  alligned  themselves  with  the  progressive  forces  of 
the  state,  we  are  inclined  to  give  much  of  the  credit  for  Oregon's 
aggressive  application  of  the  principles  of  democracy  to  the  newer 
elements  of  our  population. 

After  almost  a  half  century  of  comparative  neglect,  Oregon  has 
within  the  past  ten  or  fifteen  years,  begun  again  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  horneseekers.  It  is  putting  it  conservatively,  I  think,  to 
assert  that  she  has  been  getting  an  exceptionally  large  proportion 
of  the  most  desirable  citizens.  Business  men,  professional  men, 
and  college  graduates,  from  far  and  near,  have  been  buying  land  and 
settling  down  to  build  for  themselves  country  homes  in  Oregon. 
Many  of  them,  to  be  sure,  have  been  deluded  into  false  hopes  by  the 
exaggerated  claims  of  speculating  land  companies.  But  even  these, 
after  the  first  revulsion  of  feeling,  have  frankly  recognized  the  solid 
worth  of  the  state.  They  have  brought  their  education  and  business 
training  to  bear  upon  the  problems  of  our  rural  life  in  a  way  which 
will  ultimately  place  the  progress  of  Oregon  on  a  much  firmer  basis 
than  would  have  been  possible  in  any  such  get-rich-easy  Utopia  as 
the  land  speculators  depicted. 

The  greatest  need  of  Oregon  today  is  for  a  denser  rural  population. 
With  an  estimated  arable  area  of  23,000,000  acres,  we  have,  as 
indicated  by  the  accompanying  diagram,  a  total  rural  population  of 
only  337,000,  an  average  of  3.6  persons  to  the  square  mile  for  the  whole 


114 


OREGON  FARMER 

RURAL  POPULATION  OF  OREGON  BY  COUNTIES 


PREPARED  BY THEOREGON  STATISTICAL  BUREAU 


DISTRIBUTION  orRuRALPopuLATiON 

337OOO  POPULATION  ON  LAND  OR  IN  VILLAGES  OF  3OO 
POPULATION  OR  LESS 

EACH  DOT(«)  INDICATES  IOOO  POPULATION 


state,  including  those  living  in  villages  of  300  inhabitants  or  under. 

But  even  this  does  not  tell  the  whole  story.     Referring  again  to 

the  statistical  map  of  rural_population,  \ve_notice J,hat  the^ majority 


Columbia  River  drainage  area  larger  than  the  thirteen  original  states,  except  Georgia. 


OREGON  FARMER  115 

of  our  rural  dwellers  are  located  in  a  comparatively  small  section 
of  the  state.  This  means  a  still  greater  sparsity  of  population  over 
most  of  our  rural  area. 

These  facts  about  our  population  must  be  constantly  borne  in 
mind  as  we  proceed  to  treat  the  other  factors  which  enter  into  the 
make-up  of  our  rural  life. 

Communication  and  Transportation. 

At  the  foundation  of  the  systems  of  communication  and  trans- 
r  station  of  any  country  lies  its  public  highways.  This  is  a  fact 
which  has  as  yet  taken  hold  of  the  people  in  but  a  very  small  per- 
centage of  our  American  states.  At  this  very  moment  the  Chicago 
newspapers  are  carrying  on  a  campaign  for  better  roads  in  Cook 
County.  Cartoonists  are  depicting  horses  mired,  and  vehicles 
up  the  axles  in  mud.  We  assure  the  truck  gardener  from  around 
Chicago,  that  if  he  should  cast  his  lot  with  us  on  the  Pacific  Coast  he 
will  be  able  to  find  some  pieces  of  road  in  Oregon  just  as  bad  as  those 
of  Cook  County.  Should  he  become  very  homesick  he  might  drive 
through  one  of  our  worst  pieces.  He'll  have  no  difficulty  in  imagining 
that  home  and  mother  are  waiting  for  him  at  the  other  end  of  the 
haul,  as  so  often  happened  near  Chicago. 

Highway  construction  in  Oregon  has  its  difficulties  to  contend 
with.  But  it  also  has  certain  advantages.  The  hilly  nature  of  the 
country  through  the  coastal  range  and  other  mountainous  sections 
presents  the  difficulty  of  steep  grades  to  overcome.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  slopes  give  a  natural  drainage  which  prevents  the  mountain 
roads  from  becoming  wallowing  quagmires  such  as  frequently  occur 
in  the  valleys  and  on  the  plains.  Then,  too,  there  are  few  parts  of 
Oregon  which  have  not  fairly  easy  access  to  materials  for  road 
building. 

The  good  roads  movement  is  gaining  ground  in  Oregon,  as  it  is 
in  every  other  state.  The  chief  obstacles  to  be  overcome  are,  lack 
of  interest  in  the  older  sections,  and  sparseness  of  population  in 
newer  districts.  At  present,  practically  all  the  settlements  of  the 
state  are  reached  by  public  highways  of  some  sort;  while  many  of 
the  more  progressive  and  thickly  settled  rural  communities  have 
macadamized  their  principal  highways.  The  foremost  men  in  the 
new  rural  life  movement  see  the  necessity  of  some  unified  scheme 
of  highway  improvement  for  the  whole  state,  and  are  working  toward 
that  end.  The  Oregon  Almanac  gives  the  amount  spent  in  highway 
improvement  for  the  whole  state,  at  approximately  $11,754,757  for 
for  the  six  year  period,  1906-1912. 

The  map  on  page  108  shows  at  a  glance  the  present  railway  situation 
in  Oregon.  As  indicated,  large  areas  of  the  state  are  still  in  their 
stage  coach  days,  while  the  Willamette  Valley  is  fairly  laced  with 
railways. 

The  old  adage,  "it  never  rains  but  it  pours"  is  well  illustrated  here 
as  well  as  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  Those  sections  which 


116 


OREGON  FARMER 


are  best  provided  with  railways  have  also  abundant  facilities  for 
transportation  by  water.  The  Columbia  is  navigable  throughout 
the  year  as  far  as  The  Dalles,  and  the  Willamette  to  Salem.  Except 
for  the  period  of  low  water,  both  rivers  have  regular  service  for  much 
longer  distances.  For  about  nine  months  of  the  year  the  Columbia 
is  navigable  to  Priest  Rapids,  Washington,  and  to  Lewiston,  Idaho; 
while  the  regular  service  of  the  Willamette  reaches  Corvallis,  except 
during  low  water. 

However,  the  best  settled  sections  of  the  state  have  regular  trans- 
portation facilities  for  agricultural  products  by  either  rail  or  water; 
and  as  fast  as  other  areas  are  sufficiently  developed,  present  lines 
are  being  extended  and  new  ones  built. 

Postal  Service  and  Telephone. 

SOCIAL  STATISTICS-A. 


Rural  Free 

Buttermaking  by 

Nationality. 

Delivery. 

Telephone. 

Women  at  Home. 

Division. 

No.  of 

;No.  of 

No.  of 

No.  of 

Reports. 

Am. 

For. 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Coast  Division.  .  . 

172 

123 

49 

178 

87 

89 

175 

137 

38 

125 

62 

63 

Southern  Oregon. 

207 

169 

38 

238 

134 

104 

246 

201 

45 

329 

164 

65 

Willamette  Valley 
Columbia  Basin.. 

491 
242 

366 
219 

125 
23 

494 
203 

399 
80 

95 
123 

546 
204 

500 
168 

46 
36 

513 
191 

429 
150 

84 
41 

Blue  Mountain.  .  . 

162 

141 

21 

189 

77 

112 

183 

153 

30 

115 

99 

16 

Central  Oregon.  .  . 

209 

165 

44 

169 

56 

113 

186 

102 

84 

179 

126 

53 

State  

1483 

1183 

300 

1469 

833 

636 

1540 

1261 

279 

1352 

1030 

322 

The  eagerness  with  which  Oregon  farmers  improve  their  means 
of  communication  is  well  illustrated  by  the  above  statistics  on  the  use 
of  the  rural  telephone  and  Rural  Free  Delivery.  It  is  interesting  to 
note  the  large  number  of  farms  visited  in  all  parts  of  the  state  which 
make  use  of  the  rural  telephone.  Even  in  the  most  sparsely  settled 
divisions  of  the  state,  a  large  percentage  of  the  farmers  are  in  actual 
speaking  contact  with  the  outside  world.  Roads  may  be  bad,  and 
distances  too  great  to  admit  of  postal  rural  free  delivery  of  mail ;  but 
along  the  lines  of  privately  or  mutually  owned  telephones,  the  news 
of  the  outside  world  penetrates  the  remotest  neighborhoods.  The 
farmer  and  his  family  are  often  alive  to  the  topics  of  the  day  long 
before  the  information  could  reach  him  by  the  slower  method  of  the 
local  post  office. 

In  but  few  sections  of  Oregon,  need  the  settler  long  face  the  deaden- 
ing isolation  which  formerly  confronted  the  pioneer.  Into  all  parts 
of  the  state  the  rural  telephone  is  carrying  its  message  of  cheer  and 
social  unity.  Following  it  is  the  rural  free  delivery  with  its  parcel 
post  service  which  further  cements  the  farmer  to  the  world  of  thought 
and  industry  of  which  he  forms  a  part.  A*study  of  the  above  table 
in  connection  with  the  Division  Map  of  the  state,  page  7,  tells  the 
story  more  eloquently  than  it  could  be  expressed  in  words. 


OREGON  FARMER 

Educational  Facilities. 

SOCIAL  STATISTICS— B. 


117 


Access  to 

Access  to 

Agriculture 

Influence  of 

Division. 

Library. 

High  School. 

Taught. 

Church  Increating. 

No.  of 

No.  of 

No.  of 

No.  of 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Ye« 

No 

Coast  Division  .  .  . 

98 

60 

30 

158 

72 

86 

88 

40 

48 

64 

42 

22 

Southern  Oregon. 

119 

61 

58 

177 

96 

81 

75 

7 

68 

105 

95 

10 

Willamette  Valley 

462 

379 

83 

468 

321 

147 

244 

64 

180 

322 

284 

38 

Columbia  Basin.. 

197 

108 

89 

235 

161 

74 

179 

74 

105 

105 

81 

24 

Blue  Mountain  .  .  . 

149 

105 

44 

143 

99 

44 

76 

13 

63 

87 

72 

15 

Central  Oregon... 

195 

169 

26 

187 

76 

111 

159 

43 

116 

111 

89 

22 

State  

1218 

882 

336 

1368 

825 

543 

869 

241 

628 

794 

663 

131 

There  is  little  excuse  for  any  child's  growing  up  illiterate  in  Oregon. 
A  little  work  among  the  figures  of  the  Thirteenth  Census  will  show 
that  she  ranks  high  among  the  states  of  the  Union,  both  in  the  number 
of  her  teachers  and  in  her  annual  expenditures  for  education,  in 
proportion  to  her  population.  As  the  "Oregon  Almanac"  puts  it: 
"Oregon,  ranking  thirty-fifth  in  population,  ranks  twenty-third  in 
amount  of  salaries  paid  to  teachers,  and  twenty-first  in  the  total 
expenditures  for  public  school  purposes,  in  the  latter  respect  ranking 
ahead  of  the  great  states  of  Alabama,  Arkansas,  Florida,  Georgia, 
Maine,  Mississippi,  North  Carolina,  North  Dakota,  and  South  Dakota, 
each  of  which  contains  a  much  larger  population."  For  the  year  1911, 
Oregon  employed  4,969  teachers,  spent  $2,659,727  in  salaries,  and 
made  a  total  expenditure  for  educational  purposes  of  $5,731,902. 

The  standard  of  the  common  schools  is  being  raised  every  year,  a 
more  thorough  training  is  being  demanded  of  our  teachers,  and 
efforts  are  being  made  as  never  before  to  correlate  education  and 
life  work.  Of  the  high  schools,  more  are  offering  a  full  four  year 
course;  and  each  year  sees  a  larger  number  of  them  offering 
scientific  agriculture  as  a  part  of  their  regular  work. 

Referring  to  "Social  Statistics"  B,  above,  we  notice  that,  of 
1,368  families  reporting,  825  had  access  to  a  high  school;  and  of 
these,  241  reported  agriculture  as  one  of  the  regular  subjects  taught. 

Higher  education  in  Oregon  is  amply  provided  for  in  its  State 
University  at  Eugene,  and  the  Agricultural  College  at  Corvallis. 
Both  of  these  schools  are  progressive,  and  are  working  on  the  Wis- 
consin plan  of  carrying  education  right  to  the  homes  of  the  people. 
An  Extension  Educational  Bill,  passed  by  the  last  session  of  the 
Legislature,  the  provisions  of  which  are  carried  out  jointly  by  the 
State  Department  of  Education  and  the  Agricultural  College,  places 
Oregon  in  the  front  rank  among  the  states  in  the  democratization  of 
education.  It  is  so  planned  as  to  reach  practically  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  in  the  state. 

Besides,  Oregon  possesses  in  Reed  College  of  Portland  a  richly 
endowed  independent  school  of  liberal  arts,  which  aims  at  the  very 
highest  standards,  and  is  already  having  an  appreciable  influence  on 
the  educational  policy  of  the  state.  Then,  for  those  who  prefer  to 
send  their  children  to  a  denominational  school,  Oregon  can  supply 


OREGON  FARMER 


Oregon's  educational  system  offers  an  opportunity  for  every  class,  from  the  kinder- 
garten to  the  education  that  stands  for  culture.  Co-ordinate  with  the  system  of  the 
three  R's  are  the  manual  training  and  trade  schools  of  the  larger  cities.  The  crowning 
feature  of  its  industrial  education  is  the  Oregon  Agricultural  College.  It  stands  for 
the  highest  development  of  the  rich  agricultural  resources  of  the  state  through  an  edu- 
cated hand  and  head.  It  offers  educational  opportunities  to  all  workers. 


OREGON  FARMER 


119 


them  with  almost  any  brand  they  like  to  name.  In  fact,  I  think  one 
would  have  to  look  around  a  good  deal  in  order  to  find  a  section  of 
country  more  thickly  dotted  with  denominational  colleges  than  is 
the  Willamette  Valley.  A  study  of  the  following  chart  of  edu- 
cational Institutions  in  Oregon  will  make  this  clear,  besides  setting 
forth  a  bird's  eye  view  of  educational  conditions  throughout  the 
state. 

The  Influence  of  The  Church. 

Turning  again  to  the  table,  "Social  Statistics"  (B)  (table,  page  117), 
we  notice  the  astounding  fact  that  of  794  reports  on  the  influence 
of  the  rural  church  in  Oregon,  663,  or  86  per  cent  claim  that  the 
church  is  gaining  ground  in  its  influence  upon  rural  life. 

There  are  several  reasons  for  this  favorable  report.  In  the  first 
place,  rural  Oregon  has  never  been  subjected  to  anything  like  the 
amount  of  duplication  of  churches  which  disgraces  the  very  name  of 
Christianity  in  many  of  the  older  states.  In  the  second  place,  there 
are  few  states  where  the  average  intelligence  is  higher.  People  in 
Oregon  are  more  prone  to  subject  their  convictions  to  the  scrutiny 
of  reason,  rather  than  take  them  ready  made  from  others.  Hence, 
the  religious  crank  with  his  manifold  brands  of  salvation,  like  the 
political  spellbinder,  the  eloquent  mouthpiece  of  the  machine,  has 
never  been  taken  so  seriously  in  Oregon  as  in  other  states. 

In  fact,  we  believe  there  is  enough  independence  and  intelligence 
in  Oregon  to  blaze  the  way  for  a  new  rural  church.  It  shall  be  a 
church  in  which  service  shall  count  instead  of  dogma,  a  church  which 
shall  find  in  living  problems  an  inspiration  and  a  dynamic  force 
which  stories  of  a  dead  past  have  long  ceased  to  supply. 

Some  beginnings  of  the  new  era  are  already  to  be  discerned. 
One  of  the  most  notable  is  the  federation  of  three  of  the  old  time 
denominations  of  the  small  town  of  Independence  in  a  single  church 
corporation.  Three  weak  competing  churches  united  their  forces, 
and  hired  a  good  man  to  be  their  spiritual  leader  in  a  capacity  which 
is  impossible  for  any  paid  advocate  of  a  sect  or  creed.  What  Inde- 
pendence has  accomplished  other  rural  communities  can  also  do. 
Few  other  movements  could  accomplish  more  for  rural  life  than 
church  federation. 

SOCIAL  STATISTICS— C. 


Societies  for 

Organizations  for 

Associations  for 

Societies  for 

Women. 

Material 

Social 

Social 

Division. 

Improvement. 

Entertainment. 

Intercourse. 

No.  of 

No.  of 

No.  of 

No.  of 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Reports. 

Yes 

No 

Coast  Division.  .  . 

134 

85 

99 

165 

105 

60 

88 

62 

26 

83 

«7 

16 

Southern  Oregon. 

200 

79 

121 

201 

127 

74 

92 

68 

24 

50 

38 

1?! 

Willamette  Valley 
Columbia  Basin  .  . 

468 
215 

307 
109 

161 
106 

493 
222 

354 
175 

139 
47 

335 
156 

276 
93 

59 
63 

335 
156 

284 
92 

51 
64 

Blue  Mountain... 

168 

60 

108 

182 

87 

95 

58 

45 

13 

63 

5? 

11 

Central  Oregon..  . 

172 

65 

107 

142 

56 

86 

179 

108 

71 

169 

114 

55 

State  . 

1357 

655 

702 

1405 

904 

501 

908 

652 

256 

956 

647 

207 

120  OREGON  FARMER 

Other  Rural  Organizations. 

Besides  the  church  with  its  women's  auxiliaries,  and  other  sub- 
sidiary organizations,  Oregon  has  quite  a  variety  of  clubs,  societies, 
and  fraternities,  which  profess  to  be  grappling  with  the  problems 
of  the  farmer. 

In  the  table,  "Social  Statistics"  (B),  (page  117),  we  have  condensed 
a  summary  of  the  chief  facts  concerning  such  organizations.  In 
the  column  headed  "yes"  are  indicated  the  families  whose  members 
are  affiliated  with  some  such  association;  while  under  "no"  we  have 
the  number  of  families  where  no  such  affiliation  exists.  An  analysis 
of  the  figures  shows  that  a  large  percentage  of  the  families  are 
united  with  associations  for  material  and  mental  improvement  or 
social  intercourse. 

The  dominant  rural  organizations  are  the  Grange  and  The  Farmer's 
Educational  and  Co-operative  Union.  The  former  claims  upwards 
of  10,000  members,  and  the  latter  about  5,000  members  in  the  state. 
Both  claim  economic  functions  as  well  as  educational  activities. 
In  practice,  however,  the  Grange  specializes  more  in  educational 
programs,  and  meetings  for  social  intercourse;  while  the  Union  is 
predominantly  a  business  organization.  Both  associations  admit 
women  to  membership  as  well  as  men;  and  through  their  harmonious 
legislative  policy,  they  are  coming  to  be  a  power  in  advancing  the 
rural  interests  of  the  state. 

Without  further  description  of  farmer's  organizations,  we  may 
close  by  warning  farmers  against  division  in  their  ranks.  If  we  are 
to  have  a  strong,  progressive  rural  policy  in  Oregon,  we  must  have 
a  harmoniously  organized  rural  population.  They  must  stand 
together  as  one  man  for  better  farming,  better  business,  better  rural 
education. 

Summary. 

In  Oregon,  then,  we  find  conditions  varying  all  the  way  from  the 
log  hut  of  the  pioneer  to  the  modern  farm  dwelling  which  would 
grace  the  best  residence  districts  of  our  cities.  Everywhere,  we  find 
a  sturdy  population,  above  the  average  in  intelligence,  and  strongly 
supporting  American  standards  of  life  and  the  best  American  ideals. 

In  the  furtherance  of  those  ideals,  we  find  them  progressive  to  a 
degree.  Oregon  has  woman  suffrage,  and  is  the  home  of  direct 
legislation,  the  initiative,  referendum  and  recall.  The  progressive 
spirit  of  her  citizens  is  further  shown  in  the  readiness  of  Oregon 
farmers  to  unite  and  work  together  for  their  mutual  improvement, 
politically,  socially,  economically,  and  intellectually. 

Finally,  Oregon's  population  does  not  lack  elbow  room  in  any  sense 
of  the  word.  They  have  as  yet  scarcely  explored  their  wonderful 
natural  resources;  and  they  have  a  climate  which  neither  benumbs 
by  its  cold,  ennervates  by  its  heat,  nor  terrifies  by  earthquake,  storm, 
or  flood. 


OREGON  FARMER  121 


THE  OREGON  RURAL  HOME. 

By  HENRIETTA  W.  CALVIN, 
Dean  School  of  Domestic  Science  and  Art. 


T  the  time  at  which  this  preliminary  Agricultural  Survey  was 
started  it  was  not  intended  to  include  any  special  data  in  regard 
to  the  Oregon  rural  home.  Therefore  our  statistics  are  rather 
meager  and  much  of  that  which  will  herein  follow  is  based  upon 
observation  personally  made  in  the  various  parts  of  the  state  rather 
than  on  the  statistics. 

There  are  a  number  of  conditions  essential  to  the  contentment  and 
welfare  in  rural  homes;  comfortable  and  sanitary  houses  equipped 
as  far  as  possible  with  modern  conveniences;  possibilities  for  the 
women  of  the  household  to  meet  other  women  who  are  similarly 
located;  organizations  for  social  and  intellectual  betterment; 
opportunities  for  the  members  of  the  household  to  be  able  to  converse 
and  receive  information  over  telephones  and  daily  receive  news  from 
the  outside  world;  possibilities  for  the  children  to  acquire  a  good 
fundamental  education  without  leaving  home  and  for  all  members 
of  the  family  to  have  the  opportunity  of  social  intercourse  with  their 
families;  and  that,  arrangements  by  which  the  manual  labor  be 
so  provided  for  that  no  member  of  the  household  shall  be  exhausted 
physically  or  so  constantly  occupied  that  there  is  not  time  for  intellec- 
tual or  social  improvement. 

The  country  houses  represent  very  naturally  three  stages  in  their 
evolution.  The  first  dwelling  of  the  new  settler,  in  any  community, 
is  of  the  smallest  and  most  temporary  type  that  will  protect  him  and 
his  family  from  the  elements.  It  is  usually  quickly  constructed, 
located  near  to  the  road  and  often  the  proximity  to  a  known  water 
supply  is  the  most  essential  matter  to  be  considered.  The  first  home 
is  not  always  convenient  but  often  represents  both  hope  and  happiness 
because  it  is  recognized  as  a  symbol  of  the  first  beginning  of  a  new 
life  which  offers  great  opportunities. 

The  average  cost  of  dwelling,  as  exhibited  in  chart  in  financial 
report  of  this  volume,  is  but  $533.00  in  Central  Oregon.  This 
portion  of  the  state  is  of  the  most  recent  development  and  these 
homes  are  often  in  their  first  stages  of  evolution.  There  is  another 
reason  for  the  low  cost  of  these  dwellings  which  is  that  they  are 
constructed  from  local  building  materials  which  can  be  purchased 
cheaply  or  prepared  on  the  homestead. 

After  a  few  years,  more  rooms  are  added  to  the  first  small  structure 
and  there  is  a  gradual  betterment  and  general  improvement  of 
surroundings.  This  enlarged  country  home  is  comfortable.  Though 
it  may  not  be  particularly  convenient  it  often  meets  the  more  pressing 
needs  of  the  family  and  many  of  the  really  important  events  of  the 
family  take  place  within  its  walls.  It  so  thoroughly  represents  to 
all  of  the  family  the  real  home  that  it  is  not  strange  that  this  second 


122  OREGON  FARMER 

dwelling  remains  long  after  the  land  owner  is  financially  able  to 
replace  it  by  a  better  type  of  dwelling.  In  the  interim  between  the 
second  form  of  farm  home  and  the  permanent  one  there  is  a  marked 
improvement  in  the  barns,  granaries,  machine  sheds  and  other 
farm  structures  so  that  the  houses  seem  over-shadowed  by  the  fine 
barns. 

By  the  exhibit  before  referred  to,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  average 
value  of  the  rural  dwelling  is  from  $1,204.00  to  $1,549.00.  The  cost 
of  the  dwelling  increasing  slightly  with  the  increased  acreage  of 
of  the  homestead.  Those  homes  are  in  the  second  stage  of  develop- 
ment. 

In  many  parts  of  Oregon  this  second  form  of  dwelling  predominates 
because  the  state  is  still  new,  but  in  all  localities  the  third  type,  the 
permanent  dwelling,  is  making  its  appearance. 

The  $3,000.00  to  $5,000.00  farm  dwelling  is  a  not  infrequent  sight 
in  all  parts  of  the  state,  especially  in  those  portions  which  have  been 
longest  settled. 

In  no  other  part  of  the  country  can  modern,  convenient  and  up- 
to-date  houses  be  more  cheaply  erected.  There  is  a  large  part 
of  the  state  of  so  mild  a  climate  that  the  houses  do  not  have  to  be 
warmly  constructed.  In  most  parts  of  the  Willamette  Valley  and 
Southern  Oregon  districts,  it  is  possible  to  introduce  running  water 
through  the  house  by  the  mere  diversion  of  mountain  streams. 
It  is  even  more  easy  in  the  homes  of  the  Coast  region  than  for  those 
in  any  other  part  of  the  state  to  thus  introduce  water  through  the 
house.  In  many  parts  of  Central  Oregon  the  water  rises  within  four 
feet  of  the  top  of  the  ground,  and  where  it  is  necessary  in  such 
localities  to  elevate  the  water,  this  elevation  can  be  done  by  wind- 
mills which  method  is  neither  difficult  nor  excessively  expensive. 
Special  emphasis  is  here  placed  on  introducing  the  essential  city 
conveniences  in  the  rural  house,  because  it  is  an  accepted  fact,  that 
often  families  leave  the  farm  and  take  up  urban  residences  because 
of  the  desire  of  the  women  of  the  household  for  the  same  household 
comforts  which  are  obtainable  for  her  city  sister.  With  the  abund- 
ance of  water  power  in  all  parts  of  Oregon,  it  is  but  a  question  of  a 
few  years  when  cooperative  organizations  of  the  farmers  will  utilize  this 
power  for  the  introduction  of  electricity  in  their  homes.  With  the 
well  constructed  houses  which  are  becoming  increasingly  numerous 
in  all  parts  of  the  state,  with  these  houses  supplied  with  running 
water,  baths,  furnaces,  and  good  artificial  light,  the  first  essential 
condition  of  the  satisfactory  rural  home  will  have  been  met. 

It  will  be  observed  that  from  the  statistics  as  set  forth  in  the 
following  portion  of  this  report,  25%  of  the  women  of  the  Coast 
division  belong  to  women's  clubs  or  associations  for  women,  39%  of 
those  in  Southern  Oregon  and  63%  of  those  in  the  Willamette  Valley 
have  similar  affiliations.  Fifty  per  cent  of  the  women  in  the  Columbia 
Basin,  38%  in  the  Blue  Mountain  region,  37%  in  Central  Oregon, 
belong  to  women's  organizations,  while  a  much  higher  percentage 
belong  to  societies  in  which  both  men  and  women  take  part.  The 


OREGON  FARMER  123 

newness  of  Central  Oregon  and  the  large  size  of  the  ranches  account 
in  no  small  degree  for  the  comparatively  low  percentage  of  women 
who  are  able  to  belong  to  social  organizations.  With  the  rapid 
increase  of  settlement  in  that  region,  it  is  predicted  that  within  a 
few  years  these  organizations  will  multiply  rapidly.  Many  more 
women  could  belong  to  these  clubs  if  their  interest  were  once  awak- 
ened. Women  are  naturally  conservative  and  they  permit  family 
duties  to  so  engross  them  that  they  may  neglect  neighborly  associa- 
tions. That  75%  of  all  the  women  thus  represented  in  these 
statistics  have  access  to  libraries,  that  61%  of  those  families  are 
accessible  to  high  schools,  while  56%  receive  daily  deliveries  of  mail, 
and  80%  have  telephones,  all  goes  to  show  that  the  Oregon  homes  are 
not  isolated  from  the  world. 

There  are  almost  no  statistics  indicating  the  type  of  occupation 
in  these  houses.  It  is  safe  to  conclude  that  much  of  the  poultry 
raising  is  done  by  women  and  that  there  is  much  farm  dairying 
practiced.  The  making  of  the  butter  on  the  farm  is  always  a  prelim- 
inary condition  to  the  establishment  of  creameries,  so  that  within 
a  few  years  the  farm  woman  will  be  relieved  of  the  butter  making, 
and  the  cream  will  be  handled  in  local  creameries  or  sent  to  the  cities. 

Poultry  raising  is  generally  proving  profitable  and  men  are  begin- 
ning to  appreciate  this  "farm  crop."  Soon  the  burden  of  the  care 
of  the  poultry  will  in  part  at  least,  pass  to  the  men  on  the  farm  and 
the  women  be  relieved  of  much  of  this  labor. 

That  the  families  living  on  large  farms  live  better,  is  to  be  doubted, 
though  the  table  elsewhere  given  might  be  taken  to  indicate  this. 
The  higher  expenses  of  the  family  on  the  homestead  is  accounted  for 
in  one  of  several  ways.  The  small  farm  often  produces  much  of  its 
own  food  supplies  while  the  large  ranches  are  often  specialized  to  the 
production  of  stock.  It  is  possible  also  that  the  owner  of  the  large 
ranch  more  often  entertains  outsiders  than  does  the  owner  of  the 
small  homestead. 

The  charts  indicate  that  but  an  average  of  $50.00  per  family  was 
spent  for  recreation,  medicine,  etc.  It  is  probable  that  the  greater 
portion  of  this  was  expended  for  other  purposes  than  medicine.  The 
climatic  conditions  are  so  favorable  for  health  that  it  would  not  be 
expected  that  much  would  be  devoted  to  medical  attendance. 

It  is  so  easy  for  families  to  spend  delightful  vacations  in  the 
mountains  or  by  the  sea  shore  that  it  is  not  strange  that  every  one 
does  some  inexpensive  camping  each  year. 

The  conclusion  is  that  the  conditions  are  all  favorable  for  satis- 
factory rural  homes  being  established  in  all  parts  of  Oregon. 


To  find  out  what  success  the  ordinary  farmer  has  attained, 
study  these  statistics.  What  the  ordinary  man  has  done 
on  an  average,  is  a  safe  guide  as  to  what  the  average,  indus- 
trious newcomer  can  accomplish.  Here  are  the  unvarnished 
facts.  Scrutinize  them  closely. 


124  OREGON  FARMER 

TYPICAL  SUCCESSFUL  FARMS, 

By  E.  B.  LEMON, 

Assistant  Statistician. 


State  of  Oregon  contains  96,699  square  miles  or  approxi- 
mately  62,000,000  acres.  It  embraces  a  larger  territory  than 
the  combined  area  of  the  six  New  England  states,  Maryland 
and  New  Jersey.  The  two  largest  of  its  thirty-four  counties  cover 
an  area  equal  to  the  States  of  Maryland  and  Vermont,  while  its 
smallest  county  is  nearly  one-half  as  large  as  Rhode  Island.  Accord- 
ing to  the  Census  of  1910,  the  average  size  Oregon  farm  is  255  acres, 
although  the  state  has  a  single  farm  one-fourth  the  area  of  Rhode 
Island  and  a  large  number  ranging  in  size  from  one-thirtieth  to 
one-fifteenth  of  that  entire  state. 

In  this  vast  area  within  the  Oregon  boundary,  physical  and  climatic 
conditions  vary  considerably.  To  describe  farms  typical  of  all  these 
divisions  and  conditions  would  require  a  book  of  itself.  However,  as 
indicated  on  page  7,  the  state  naturally  falls  into  six  divisions 
as  far  as  topography  is  concerned.  Even  in  these  divisions  conditions 
are  diversified,  but  it  is  possible  to  find  a  large  number  of  farms 
which  are  typical  of  the  general  characteristics  of  numerous  successful 
farms  of  the  respective  localities.  It  is,  therefore,  the  purpose  of 
this  article  to  briefly  describe  one  farm  of  this  type  in  each  of  the 
six  divisions  mentioned  above. 

The  Coast  Division,  which  extends  across  the  entire  western 
portion  of  the  state,  is  devoted  largely  to  the  dairying  industry. 
General  farming  is  engaged  in  to  some  extent,  and  farms  devoted 
to  stock  raising  exclusively  are  not  uncommon.  Some  localities 
are  also  giving  considerable  attention  to  fruit  growing.  The  latter 
industries,  however,  give  way  to  the  first  mentioned  in  importance, 
for  the  coast  region  is  admirably  adapted  to  dairying. 

Coast  Division. 

The  survey  of  the  Coast  Division  indicates  that  the  leading  farms 
contain  about  160  acres.  In  all,  176  farms  were  visited  and  of  this 
number  56  contain  between  81  and  160  acres  and  55  between  161 
and  320  acres.  It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  it  is  these  farms 
which  are  paying  the  highest  rate  of  interest  on  the  capital  invested. 
This  being  the  case,  and  also  since  dairying  is  the  leading  industry 
in  the  Coast  Region,  farm  Number  Three  will  be  described  as  being 
typical  of  this  division. 

Farm  Number  Three  contains  150  acres  of  which  50  are  in  cultiva- 
tion, 25  in  meadow,  and  75  in  pasture.  The  pasture  is  mostly  hilly, 
while  the  portion  in  cultivation  is  bottom  land,  the  soil  being  clay 
loam.  The  average  market  value  of  this  land,  including  a  $1,200 
dwelling  and  an  equal  amount  invested  in  other  buildings,  was 
estimated  by  the  owner  to  be  $175  an  acre,  making  a  total  real  estate 
investment  of  $26,250.  However,  the  principal  source  of  profit  is  a 


OREGON  FARMER  125 

herd  of  23  grade  cows,  headed  by  a  pure  bred  Jersey  sire.  During 
the  year  covered  by  the  survey  the  milk  produced  by  this  herd 
returned  $2,070.  This  is  a  greater  return  per  cow  than  the  average 
of  the  community,  but  is  doubtless  due  to  the  fact  that  the  product  is 
manufactured  into  cheese  on  the  farm  and  shipped  direct  to  the  Port- 
land markets.  The  male  calves  were  killed  as  soon  as  dropped,  but 
eleven  heifers  were  added  to  the  herd,  and  at  the  end  of  the  year  were 
valued  at  $30  each,  or  a  total  of  $330.  This  increased  the  gross 
income  to  $2,400  from  a  herd  valued  at  $1,685. 

Fifteen  head  of  other  cattle  were  disposed  of  for  $750.  Fifteen 
hogs  were  also  marketed  for  which  $230  was  received.  These  hogs 
were  raised  and  fattened  almost  entirely  on  pasture,  artichokes  and 
by-products  of  the  dairy,  only  about  $40  worth  of  other  feed  being 
used  in  preparing  them  for  the  market. 

Practically  all  the  field  crops  raised  are  used  for  feed.  In  the 
year  which  we  are  considering,  25  acres  of  clover  meadow  yielded  an 
average  of  two  and  one-half  tons  per  acre;  three  acres  of  oat  hay 
yielded  three  and  one-half  tons  per  acre;  the  two  acres  planted  to 
kale  returned  forty  tons,  and  one-half  acre  of  potatoes  yielded  100 
bushels,  of  which  50  bushels  were  marketed  at  the  rate  of  one  and 
one-fourth  cents  per  pound.  The  average  yield  of  potatoes  in  this 
section,  however,  is  about  300  bushels  per  acre.  An  interesting 
experiment  is  being  carried  on  with  artichokes  and  the  results  obtained 
thus  far  indicate  that  they  will  prove  most  successful.  Although  the 
acreage  planted  has  been  small,  the  yield  has  been  exceptionally 
heavy,  and  good  results  have  been  obtained  by  feeding  the  green 
stocks  to  the  dairy  cows  and  then  letting  the  hogs  harvest  the  tubers. 

The  home  garden  supplies  the  family  with  all  of  the  vegetables 
desired,  but  no  attempt  is  made  to  grow  any  for  the  market.  A  few 
small  fruits  are  grown  quite  successfully,  but  very  little  attention  is 
given  to  this  phase  of  the  farm.  The  same  is  true  of  the  poultry 
department.  About  thirty  Plymouth  Rock  hens  are  kept,  all 
produce  being  consumed  by  the  family. 

After  considering  the  sources  of  profit  and  the  results,  it  is  now 
time  to  turn  our  attention  to  the  cost  of  production.  Two  men, 
two  horses,  and  implements  and  machinery  valued  at  $1,000  are 
required  to  operate  Farm  Number  Three.  The  capital  invested, 
including  land  and  buildings,  $26,250,  live  stock  $2,519,  and 
machinery  $1,000,  is  $29,769.  As  would  naturally  be  expected,  the 
largest  item  of  expense  is  for  hired  labor,  $500  being  required  for  this 
purpose.  Other  expenditures  in  order  of  importance  are  as  follows: 
Household  $420;  taxes  $135;  feed  purchased  $130;  and  miscellaneous 
items  $80;  making  the  total  cost  of  production,  irrespective  of  family 
labor,  $1,265.  Subtracting  this  amount  from  $3,087.50,  the  total 
receipts,  a  net  balance  of  $1,822.50  remains,  or  in  other  words,  a 
return  of  over  six  per  cent,  on  the  capital  invested. 

Summarizing  these  results,  then,  we  find  that  in  1911,  Farm 
Number  Three  represented  an  invested  capital  of  $26,250;  gross 


126  OREGON ^FARMER 

receipts   $3,087.50;   total    expenditures    $1,265.00;   family   income 
$1,822.50,  or  a  return  of  6.1  per  cent  on  the  capital  invested. 

Willamette  Valley. 

The  Willamette  Valley  presents  conditions  even  more  diversified, 
for  nearly  every  agricultural  industry  of  importance  in  the  state  can 
be  found  to  some  extent,  at  least,  in  this  division.  Although  there  is 
an  apparent  growing  tendency  to  specialize  along  certain  lines,  the 
general  farms  still  predominate.  These  vary  in  size  from  five  to  one 
thousand  acres,  and  a  few  are  even  larger  than  the  latter  class. 
However,  the  figures  obtained  during  the  survey  indicate  that  the 
average  size  valley  farm  comprises  between  two  hundred  and  three 
hundred  acres. 

Farm  Number  Ten,  located  in  Benton  County,  is  typical  of  the 
successful  Willamette  Valley  farms.  It  represents  an  investment  of 
$17,285  which  comprises  250  acres  of  land  valued  at  $50  per  acre; 
live  stock  valued  at  $3,785,  and  implements  and  machinery  $1,000. 
The  land  value  includes  a  $700  dwelling  and  $600  in  other  buildings. 
The  soil  is  sandy  loam  with  some  gravel,  and  160  acres  are  in  culti- 
vation while  the  balance  affords  excellent  pasture. 

Field  crops,  dairy  products,  live  stock,  and  poultry  were  the  various 
sources  of  profit  in  1911.  Eighty  acres  of  spring  wheat  yielded  17 
bushels  per  acre  and  forty  acres  of  oats  yielded  30  bushels  per  acre. 
Both  of  these  crops,  however,  were  probably  at  least  25  per  cent 
below  the  average  yearly  yield.  Twelve  hundred  bushels  of  wheat 
were  marketed  at  75  cents  per  bushel,  and  900  bushels  of  oats  at  40 
cents  per  bushel.  One  acre  of  potatoes  yielded  200  bushels,  and  of 
this  amount  $115  worth  were  marketed,  making  the  total  sales  from 
field  crops  $1,363.  The  crops  consumed  on  the  place  included  40 
tons  of  vetch  hay  grown  on  20  acres;  21  tons  of  grain  hay  from  14 
acres,  and  one  acre  of  kale. 

The  farm  dairy  consists  of  13  grade  Jersey  cows  valued  at  $50  each. 
The  sum  of  six  hundred  dollars  was  received  for  cream  sold  at  an 
average  price  of  27  cents  per  pound.  Nine  veal  calves  netted  $81. 

Besides  the  dairy  animals,  the  farm  is  stocked  with  seven  head  of 
work  horses,  seven  colts  under  three  years  old,  150  head  of  sheep, 
130  goats  and  30  swine.  One  four-year-old  horse  was  sold  for  $225 
and  two  cows  for  $45  each.  No  other  animal  husbandry  sales  were 
made  during  the  year. 

The  poultry  department  is  conducted  principally  for  the  family  use, 
but  nevertheless  the  produce  returns  are  usually  a  noticeable  item 
in  the  profit  column.  It  was  $175  for  the  year  we  are  considering. 
About  150  hens  are  kept,  these  being  a  mixed  breed,  the  Rhode 
Island  Red  strain  predominating. 

Nine  stands  of  bees  produced  a  sufficient  amount  of  honey  for 
home  use  but  none  was  marketed.  The  home  orchard  and  garden 
receives  very  little  attention  from  a  commercial  point  of  view  although 
practically  all  of  the  fruit  and  vegetables  desired  by  the  family  are 


OREGON  FARMER  127 

raised  successfully.  A  two-year  orchard  consisting  of  100  peach 
trees,  50  pear  trees  and  nine  cherry  trees  is  thriving  exceptionally 
well. 

The  total  expenditures  for  the  year  were  $1,310.70,  the  largest 
single  item  being  $500  for  the  household,  which  is  above  the  average, 
but  we  must  take  into  consideration  that  there  are  eight  members  of 
this  family.  The  cost  of  hired  labor  was  $250.  Two  boys  attending 
high  school  are  available  during  the  busy  seasons,  consequently  the 
labor  cosfc  rarely  exceeds  the  amount  stated.  All  other  expenditures 
can  be  considered  under  three  heads;  namely,  threshing  and  twine, 
$187;  taxes,  $185,  and  miscellaneous,  $188.70. 

Since  the  gross  income  amounted  to  $2,534.00,  and  the  total 
expenses  to  $1,310.70,  the  net  family  income  was  $1,223.30,  or  an 
amount  equal  to  a  return  of  slightly  over  seven  per  cent,  on  the 
capital  investment — $17,285. 

Southern  Oregon  Division. 

The  Southern  Oregon  Division  embraces  the  Umpqua  and  Rogue 
River  Valleys  and  numerous  smaller  tributaries,  famous  for  their 
production  of  fruit,  vegetables,  and  other  agricultural  products. 
Like  the  Willamette  Valley,  the  Southern  Oregon  Division  presents 
conditions  extremely  diversified,  and  is  adapted  to  almost  every 
phase  of  agricultural  development.  However,  the  rich  and  fertile 
valleys  have  attracted  the  attention  of  scores  of  horticulturists  and 
as  a  result  fruit  raising  has  become  a  paramount  industry. 

The  survey  of  this  district  covered  every  locality,  and  farms  of  all 
classes  are  included  in  the  results.  Reports  were  secured  from  231 
farms  and  of  this  number,  38  contain  less  than  20  acres:  59  between 
21  and  80  acres;  45  between  81  and  160  acres;  46  varied  from  161  to 
320  acres;  and  43  contained  over  320  acres.  The  general  tendency 
seems  to  favor  the  smaller  farms.  Most  especially  is  this  true  of  the 
more  developed  fruit  and  garden  districts.  According  to  the  figures 
obtained,  the  smaller  farms  are  also  paying  a  considerably  larger 
rate  of  profit  on  the  capital  invested. 

A  good  example  of  the  smaller  class  is  Farm  Number  Forty-five 
in  Jackson  County.  This  farm  contains  13  acres  which  is  the  state 
average  for  farms  under  20  acres.  It  is  devoted  exclusively  to  the 
growing  of  pears,  and  in  1911  the  gross  sales  reached  the  sum  of 
$6,909.  Others  are  giving  attention  to  apples  or  other  kind  or  kinds 
of  fruit  with  like  results.  The  present  owner  purchased  Farm 
Number  Forty-five  in  1909  at  $2,000  per  acre.  The  improvements 
at  that  time  included  a  $5,000  dwelling  and  other  buildings  valued  at 
$1,000. 

The  soil  is  a  medium  sticky  black  loam  and  averages  about  six 
feet  to  gravel.  It  is  all  under  irrigation,  the  water  for  this  purpose 
being  obtained  from  a  large  well  by  means  of  an  electric  pump.  The 
orchard  occupies  twelve  of  the  thirteen  acres  and  consists  of  895 
trees,  representing  three  different  varieties.  Ninety  of  these  trees 
are  the  Bartletts,  490  are  Howells,  and  315  D'Anjous.  The  total 


128  OREGON  FARMER 

yield  in  1911  was  3,000  boxes  or  an  average  of  3.35  boxes  per  tree. 
This  crop  was  marketed  at  an  average  of  $2.30  per  box;  a  return  of 
$7.72  per  tree,  or  $576  per  acre. 

The  home  garden  supplies  the  family,  but  the  pear  crop  constitutes 
the  only  source  of  profit.  One  cow,  three  hogs,  and  eight  stands  of 
bees  are  kept,  the  produce  being  utilized  entirely  for  home  consump- 
tion. 

Two  men  and  two  teams  are  required  to  operate  this  farm.  Only 
one  team,  however,  is  necessary,  except  for  a  short  time  during  the 
busy  season.  The  value  of  all  live  stock  kept  was  fixed  at  $934. 
The  implements  and  machinery  used,  including  a  gas  spray  and  an 
electric  pump,  is  approximately  $1,000.  The  total  capital  invested 
then  is  $33,934.  The  total  expenditures  for  1911  were  $3,853.22, 
which,  when  taken  from  the  receipts,  left  a  family  income  of  $3,056. 
This  is  a  payment  of  nine  per  cent  on  the  capital  invested. 

As  all  of  the  work  in  1911  was  done  by  hired  labor,  that  account 
heads  the  list  of  expenditures,  and  including  the  cost  of  picking, 
reached  the  sum  of  $1,500.  The  crop  was  packed  and  marketed 
by  a  local  association,  the  cost  of  preparing  for  market  being  27 
cents  per  box,  amounting  to  $810;  the  marketing  commission  was 
eight  per  cent,  or  $552.72. 

As  no  feed  of  any  kind  is  raised  it  was  necessary  to  purchase  both 
hay  and  grain  at  a  cost  of  $328.50.  Other  expenses  were  as  follows: 
boxes  $125;  household  $497;  and  miscellaneous  items  $40. 

Columbia  Basin. 

The  remaining  three  divisions  of  the  state  comprise  what  is  known 
as  Eastern  Oregon,  and  aggregate  about  60,000  square  miles.  This 
region  consists  largely  of  high  tablelands  and  rolling  plains,  vastly 
different  from  those  sections  of  Oregon  in  which  the  farms  already 
described  are  located.  The  farms  of  Eastern  Oregon  are,  therefore, 
also,  of  an  entirely  different  character,  and  must  be  described  from 
a  different  point  of  view.  Wheat  and  stock  raising  are  the  principal 
industries  and  the  farms,  as  a  general  rule,  are  unusually  large. 

The  northern  portion  of  this  vast  area  bordering  on  the  Columbia 
River  is  principally  rolling  hills  traversed  by  a  few  narrow  valleys 
and  constitutes  the  Columbia  Basin.  Some  of  these  valleys  are 
adapted  to  fruit  growing,  but  the  larger  area  is  a  stock  and  grain 
district.  There  are  two  notable  exceptions,  however;  the  famous 
Hood  River  Valley  and  the  Freewater-Milton  district,  known  the 
country  over  for  their  fruit  production.  The  former  is  located  in 
the  county  whose  name  it  bears,  and  the  latter  is  in  Umatilla  County. 
A  few  other  localities  are  also  coming  into  prominence  as  fruit 
sections.  Of  the  309  farms  visited  in  the  Columbia  Basin,  consider- 
ably over  half  of  that  number  fall  within  the  division  of  over  320  acres 
and  average  2,137  acres  to  the  farm.  There  are,  however,  many 
farms  which  are  much  smaller  but  just  as  successful,  although  at 
the  present  time  the  larger  ones  are  most  typical  of  the  division. 


OREGON  FARMER  129 

Farm  Number  Thirty-five,  in  Gilliam  County,  is  a  fair  average 
of  this  class.  From  a  financial  point  of  view  this  farm  may  briefly 
be  described  as  follows:  Capital  invested  $41,740;  gross  income 
$7,718;  expenditures  $3,824;  family  income  $3,894;  and  rate  of 
profit  9.3  per  cent.  This  rate  is  slightly  above  the  state  average, 
but  is  nearer  the  average  rate  of  the  division. 

Farm  Number  Thirty-five  contains  1,680  acres.  Of  this  amount 
480  are  rented  and,  therefore,  are  not  counted  in  the  capital  invested. 
The  average  value  is  $30  per  acre.  The  soil  of  about  1,200  acres 
is  deep  and  of  the  silt  loam  type.  The  balance  of  the  acreage  is 
more  or  less  rocky  and  is  not  under  cultivation  but  affords  very 
good  pasture.  The  buildings  are  valued  at  $1,000  and  an  equal 
amount  is  invested  in  implements  and  machinery.  Three  men  and 
eighteen  horses  are  required  to  operate  this  farm. 

Throughout  the  Columbia  Basin  it  is  customary  to  summer-fallow 
cultivated  land  every  other  year,  consequently  only  about  one-half 
of  the  acreage  is  sown  in  any  one  season.  In  the  year  of  the  survey 
685  acres  of  Farm  Number  Thirty-five  wrere  in  crop.  Eighty-five 
acres  of  grain  hay  produced  one  and  one-half  tons  per  acre,  and  600 
acres  of  fall  wheat  yielded  18  bushels  per  acre.  Of  the  total 
yield,  10,800  bushels,  9,640  were  marketed  at  70  cents  per  bushel, 
returning  $6,748.00.  There  is  no  orchard  on  the  place,  but  a  small 
garden  is  cultivated  for  home  use.  The  animal  husbandry  depart- 
ment was  the  other  leading  source  of  profit,  $920  being  the  amount 
of  sales.  Four  grade  Shire  horses  were  sold  for  $760;  one  cow  and 
two  calves  for  $60,  and  four  Duroc  Jersey  hogs  for  $100.  At  the 
time  this  inventory  was  taken,  the  farm  was  stocked  with  21  head  of 
horses,  11  mule  colts  under  three  years  old,  two  cows,  one  calf,  and 
85  hogs,  the  total  value  being  $3,740.  Fifty  dollars  were  received 
from  miscellaneous  sales  of  poultry.  Both  chickens  and  turkeys 
are  kept  but  mainly  for  home  consumption. 

The  $3,824  expended  may  be  classified  as  follows:  hired  labor 
$1,000;  rent  $600;  threshing,  sacks  and  twine  $1,076;  household 
$625;  taxes  $145,  and  miscellaneous  items  $382. 

Blue  Mountain  Division. 

The  Blue  Mountain  Division  is  the  most  diversified  section  of 
Eastern  Oregon,  but  owing  to  inadequate  transportation  facilities, 
many  localities  remain  undeveloped  and  stock  raising  is  the  principal 
industry.  There  are  exceptions  to  this  general  condition,  however. 
Especially  is  this  true  of  Union  and  Baker  Counties,  where  fruit 
growing  and  dairying  are  receiving  considerable  attention.  Never- 
theless, stock  raising  still  ranks  first,  in  order  of  importance,  in  the 
division  as  a  whole,  with  sheep  and  cattle  farms  leading  in  numbers. 

Farm  Number  Sixteen,  in  Grant  County,  is  typical  of  the  successful 
cattle  ranches.  It  represents  an  investment  of  nearly  $40,000,  of 
which  $22,800  is  real  estate  and  machinery,  and  $17,100  the  value  of 
live  stock.  The  farm  contains  500  acres  and  in  addition  to  this 
1,280  acres  of  pasture  land  are  rented.  r_  About  250  acres  are  culti- 


130  OREGON  FARMER 

vated  and  under  irrigation.  This  produces  all  of  the  hay  and  grain 
required  for  winter  feed,  and  with  the  number  of  stock  above  men- 
tioned, sales  returned  $1,340.  About  180  acres  is  wild  hay  which 
yields  an  average  of  approximately  400  tons  yearly.  Wheat,  oats, 
barley  and  rye  are  raised  on  the  remainder  of  the  cultivated  land  and 
yield  exceptionally  well. 

The  receipts  from  cattle  sales  for  1911  netted  $4,600  for  105  head. 
All  cattle  raised  are  grade  Herefords  and  Durhams,  but  pure  bred 
sires  are  always  kept.  At  the  time  this  farm  was  visited,  it  was 
stocked  with  100  head  of  beef  cattle,  300  head  of  stock  cattle,  20 
head  of  horses,  and  10  swine.  No  special  dairy  cows  are  kept,  but 
enough  stock  cows  are  milked  to  supply  the  farm.  Poultry  is  also 
kept  only  for  home  use. 

A  small  orchard  consisting  of  apples,  pears,  plums,  and  cherrie8 
produces  well  during  ordinary  seasons,  but  cannot  be  depended 
upon  in  this  particular  locality.  No  fruit  is  marketed. 

Five  men  and  ten  horses  are  necessary  to  handle  the  ordinary 
farm  work.  The  cost  of  hired  labor  for  1911  was  $1,500.  This  item 
would  be  greater  if  it  were  not  for  the  fact  that  two  men  are  operating 
this  farm.  Other  expenditures  were  household  $600;  rent  $200; 
taxes  $300;  and  miscellaneous  items  $150;  a  total  of  $2,750. 

Summarizing  these  results  we  find  a  capital  of  $39,900;  gross  in- 
come $5,940;  expenditures,  $2,750;  family  income  $3,190;  rate  of 
profit  8  per  cent. 

Central  Oregon. 

Five  of  the  largest  counties  in  the  state,  or  an  area  of  41,513  square 
miles,  comprise  the  Central  Oregon  Division.  This  vast  plateau 
region  is  still  comparatively  undeveloped.  Until  the  intervention 
of  railroad  activities  only  recently,  these  thousands  of  acres  were 
partially  utilized  by  stockmen  for  grazing  purposes.  There  are 
still  many  large  farms,  several  containing  as  much  as  50,000  acres. 
But  a  change  is  rapidly  taking  place  and  already  many  small  diver- 
sified farms  are  thriving.  Such  a  farm  is  Number  Seven,  located 
in  Crook  County,  and  this  is  the  class  we  must  now  describe  as 
typical  of  the  division  instead  of  one  of  the  extensive  stock  farms 
which  formerly  predominated. 

Five  years  ago  the  owner  of  Farm  Number  Seven  acquired  an 
eighty-acre  tract  and  immediately  began  to  develop  a  diversified 
farm.  Later  an  additional  80-acre  tract  was  rented  and  he  is  now 
controlling  160  acres.  About  140  acres  are  in  cultivation.  The 
soil  is  silt  loam  and  averages  about  ten  feet  to  rock  or  gravel.  Four 
hundred  dollars  have  been  invested  in  improvements  and  the  plact 
is  now  valued  at  $60  per  acre. 

Alfalfa  is  the  leading  field  crop,  60  acres  yielding  an  average  of 
three  and  one-half  tons  per  acre.  Ten  tons  were  sold  at  $10  per 
ton.  Fifteen  tons  of  grain  hay  were  marketed  at  $8.50  per  ton. 
The  balance  of  these  crops  was  used  for  feed. 


OREGON  FARMER  131 

Thus  far  dairying  has  been  the  principal  source  of  profit.  The 
dairy  herd  consists  of  12  grade  Jersey  cows  valued  at  $100  each, 
and  is  headed  by  a  pure  bred  Jersey  sire.  The  produce  from  this 
herd  returned  $762.  One  cow  was  sold  for  $75;  five  veal  calves  and 
five  yearlings  netted  $305;  and  a  horse  was  sold  for  $100,  making 
the  total  of  live  stock  sales  $480. 

Geese,  ducks,  and  Brown  Leghorn  chickens  were  found  in  the 
poultry  department.  During  the  year  two  dozen  chickens  were 
sold  for  50  cents  each;  40  ducks  at  75  cents  each;  and  720  dozen  eggs 
at  an  average  of  30  cents  per  dozen;  aggregating  $250  for  this  depart- 
ment. 

Two  hundred  dollars  were  expended  for  hired  labor  during  the 
hay  harvest,  but  the  amount  was  returned  by  work  with  teams  done 
for  others  during  less  busy  seasons.  The  household  expenses  amount- 
ed to  $875.00.  There  are  six  members  of  the  family,  four  under 
fifteen  years  of  age.  Taxes  amounted  to  $62.50  and  miscellaneous 
items  to  $135.50. 

The  inventory  showed  the  following  resources;  real  estate,  $4,800; 
implements  and  machinery,  $500;  live  stock,  including  15  head  of 
horses,  17  head  of  cattle,  and  6  swine,  valued  at  $3,215,  and  $500 
in  cash  for  operating  expenses.  The  total  capital  invested  is  then 
$9,015.  The  gross  receipts,  including  $200  labor  for  others  were 
$1,919.00.  The  total  expenditures,  including  $200  for  hired  labor, 
were  $1,273.00.  This  leaves  a  family  income  of  $646,  or  an  amount 
equal  to  7.16  per  cent  on  the  capital  invested. 

The  1910  Census  shows  that  there  were  45,502  farms  in  Oregon 
on  that  date.  There  are  more  now.  The  farms  described  above 
are  by  no  means  representative  of  this  number  nor  do  they  represent 
all  of  the  agricultural  conditions  and  industries  of  the  state.  There 
are  many  farms  paying  a  much  larger  rate  of  interest,  and  of  course 
there  are  others,  which  are  not  so  successfully  managed,  paying 
much  less.  They  are,  however,  typical  of  certain  general  farms  and 
industries  of  their  respective  localities. 


GOOD  DEMAND  FOR  FARM  LABOR 

The  laboring  man  can  readily  get  a  start  in  Oregon  if  he 
is  willing  to  go  into  the  country.  There,  high  wages  are 
paid  for  milkers,  ranch  hands  and  farm  workers.  The 
supply  of  labor  in  the  country  districts  does  not  meet  the 
demand.  The  wages  paid  for  farm  work  are  practically  all 
clear  gain,  and  if  saved  and  put  into  a  piece  of  land  will 
soon  enable  the  laborer  to  become  a  home  owner  and  in- 
dependent citizen. 


FINI! 


132 


OREGON  FARMER 


INDEX. 


Page 
Adobe    Soils— Composition   and    description 

of  46-49 

Agricultural  Opportunities  in  Oregon 13 

Agriculture- 
Agricultural  Statistics- 
Average  Farm  Acreage,  Price,  Yield  and  Value 
each  of  Chief  Crops  in  Different  Regions 
of   Oregon — as   Grown   on    Representative 

Farms— 1911 57-60 

Climate,   Soil,   Topography,   Transportation 
Facilities,  Market  Conditions,  Price  of  Land, 

in  Relation  to 33 

Counties  Leading  in  Production  Field  Crops. .     56 
Farming  Conditions  in  Oregon(Miscellaneous 

Data) 44-45 

Farm  Crops  of  Oregon 52-54 

Oregon  and  Other  States 53-54 

Oregon  Crop  Production  by  Regions 55 

Oregon  Yields  and  Prices  Compared  with 

Leading  States 53-54 

Farming  in  Oregon— Types  of 33 

Field  Crops  Adopted  to  Different  Districts: 

For  Cash  Field  Crops 62 

For  Dairy  Cows 61 

For  Hogs,  Sheep  and  Poultry 62 

Field  Crops  not  Grown  in  Oregon 62 

Hay  and  Forage,  by  Divisions.  1909 55 

Hop    Production— Oregon    Compared    with 

Other  States 54 

Irrigation  Statistics 44 

Miscellaneous  Crops.  Grown  Only  In  Certain 

Regions  (Table) 61 

Opportunities  of  in  Oregon  (Article) 13-14 

Present  Occupation  of  Lands 43-44 

Production  and  Acreage  of  Chief  Field  Crops, 

by  Divisions,  for  1909 55 

Products  in  Oregon  in  1912 

Rotation  and  Cropping  Systems  of  Oregon .  .  62-P.3 

Selecting  a  Farm  in  Oregon 35 

Soils  of  Oregon 46-47 

Chief  Soil  Types 46 

Composition  Silt  Loams 46-47 

Composition  Sandy  Loams 46-48 

Composition  Marsh  Soils 46-49 

Composition  Adobe  Soils 46-49 

Composition  Granitic  Soils 46-50 

Composition  Pumice  Soils 46-51 

Composition  Alkali  Soils 46-51 

Survey  of  Representative  Farms— Tabulated      44 
Typical  Successful  Farms— A  Summary..  .124-131 

Wealth  of  in  Oregon,  Derived  from 33 

Examining  the  Prospective  purchase 30-42 

Alkali  Boils— Composition  and  Description  of  .46-51 

Alfalfa— (See  Farm  Crops) 52-63 

Apiaries— (See  Bee  Culture) 97-99 

Apricots— Industry  in  Oregon 71-73 

Associations  for  Social  Conditions 120 

Average  Size  of  Farms 13-14 

Blackberries— Industry  in  Oregon— (See  Fruits 

and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Barley— (See  Farm  Crops) 52-63 

Blacksmiths — Opportunities  for  Work 13 

Bee  Culture— (Article  On) 97-99 

Colonies,  Number  and  Value  of  in  State,  U.  S. 

Census,  1910 97 

Distribution  of  Bees  in  State  (Map) 98 

Honey,   Principal  Producing  Centers  of  in 

State 97 

Industry  Described— by  Divisions 98-99 

Statistics  on— by  Divisions- 
Number  of  Reports;  Number  of  Stands;  Bee 
Keeping    Successful;    Colonies    Profitable; 

Average  Price  of  Honey ;  Total  Sales 99 

—Distribution  of  (Map) 1 

Cost  to  Start  in  Business 16 

Effects  of  Feeding  Alfalfa,  Grains,  Etc 16-17 

Feeding— Kind  and  Amounts  of  Food 16-17 

Grazing— Ranee  and  Winter 16 

Industry — how  Divided 15 


Land  Necessary?  or i<j 

Markets  for 17 

Number  in  State .'     15 

Pure  Bred  Industry 16 

Statistics  On 15 

Bureau  of  Statistics- 
Composed  of 5 

Duties  of 5-fl 

Cattle— Article  on 

Beef 15 

Dairy 25 

Carpenters— Opportunities  for  Work 13 

Cheese- 
Products  for  22  factories  for  year  1912 — 
Pounds  of  Milk  Received;  Pounds  of  Milk 
Sold;  Amount  Received  for  Cheese  Sold.  Av- 
verage   Price    per   Pound   of   Cheese,   and 
Pounds  of  Cheese  per  100  Pounds  Milk. ...     28 

Tillamook  County  as  Producing  Center 28 

Cherries— Industry  in  Oregon 72 

By-Products  of 73 

State  Averace  in  Production  of 71 

Chief  Types  of  Soil— Composition  and  De- 
scription of 46-52 

Classification  of  Lands  in  State— Diagram) .     1 12 

Clearing  Land — Average  Cost  of 39 

Climate— Article  on 65-70 

As  an  Attraction Ill 

Conditions— in  Relation  to  Poultry  Industry 

— by  Divisions 89 

In  Relation  to  Farming,  Generally— by  Di- 
visions   78-84 

Considerations  and  Changes  in  Relation  to 

Soils  and  Farm  Crops 36 

Rainfall  Maps 64 

Summary  of  Normal  Climatological  Data  for 

Oregon — by  Divisions 66 

Temperature  and  Rainfall  Diagram 69 

Clover— ( Se*>  F;>rm  Crops) 52-63 

Communication  and  Transportation 117 

Postal  Service  and  Telephone 119 

Railroads  and  Navigable  Streams  (Map) 118 

Contents— Table  of 2 

Corn — Total  Production  and  Acreage — by  Di- 
visions, 1909 55 

See  Farm  Crops 52-63 

Country  Life  in  Oregon— Article  on Ill 

Moral  Tone  of  People 114 

Land  Classification — Diagram 112 

Oregon— Conditions  in  as  Compared  to  Other 

Countries 111-112 

Social  Statistics- 
Educational  Facilities 120 

Postal  Service  and  Telephone 119 

Rural  Organizations 123 

Cranberries — Industry  in  Oregon 71-73 

Dairy  Cattle— (See  Dairy  Industry) 25 

Dairy  Industry— (Article  on)    25 

Annual  Imports  of  Dairy  Products 23 

Average  Income  per  Head  in  State 27-28 

Comparison  of  Average  Income  by  Coun- 
ties   28-29 

Some  Examples 28 

Breeds  of  Dairy  Cattle  in  State 30 

Butterfat  Prices  Paid   in  Oregon  for  Years 

1909  to  1912,  inclusive,  by  months 32 

Cheese — Industry    in    Tillamook    County — 

Statistics,  etc 28 

Cost  of  Milk  Production 29 

Labor  and  Wages — by  Sections 29 

Systems  of  Labor  Employment 29 

Crop  Production  by  Divisions 52-58 

Diversified  Dairy  Farming — by  Divisions. . .      34 
Diversified    Livestock    Farming — Truck   and 

Small  Fruits 34 

Farms  Reporting  Income  from  Cowa 27 

Feeding— Kinda  and  Cost  of  Foods 29-32 

Climate  and  Relation  to  Low  Food  Cost 3 

Concentrated  Feed  Stuffs  va.  Forage  Crops.    3Z 


OREGON  FARMER 


133 


INDEX— Continued. 


Page 

Kale— Its  Value  as  a  Winter  Food 32 

Long  Growing  Season  and  Abundance  of 

Feed  Throughout  the  Winter 32 

Prices  of  Feed  Stuffs  in  Oregon  as  Compared 

to  Middle  West  States 32 

Markets  for  Products  of 31 

Prices  of  Butterfat  in  Portland,  Compared 

to  Eastern  Cities 31 

Compared  to  San  Francisco 31 

Number  of  Cows  and   Distribution  of — by 

Counties 25 

In  Comparison  with  Population.  Area,  Etc. .     25 

In  Comparison  with  Other  States 26 

Number  and  Value  of  Cows  and  Heifers 26-27 

Comparison  of  Values — by  Sections 26-27 

Market  for  Surplus  Stock 32 

Number  and  Kinds  of  Cream  Separators  in 

Use  in  the  State 31 

Importance  of  to  Dairy  Industry 31 

Over- Production — no  Danger  of 26 

Pounds  of  Milk  Received;  Pounds  of  Cheese 
made:  Amount  Received  for  Cheese  sold; 
Average  Price  per  Pound:  Pounds  of  Cheese 

per  100  Pounds  Milk 28 

Size  of  Herds  and  Average  Value  per  Cow- 
by  Sections 27 

Typical  Successful  Farms— a  Summary 124-131 

Dewberries— See  Fruits  and  Vegetables..  ..71-85 
Diversified     Farming— 
Diversified  Crop  and  Livestock,  by  Divisions; 
Diversified  Dairy  Farming,  by  Divisions; 
Diversified  Field  Crop  Farming,  by  Divi- 
sions:  Diversified  Livestock  Farming,  by 

Divisions  36-37 

Editing  Committee— Composed  of 6 

Farm  Labor — Good  Demand  for 131 

Farms  and  Farming— 

Agricultural  Opportunities 13-14 

Agricultural  Products  in  Oregon.  1912 33 

A  verage  Waees— With  and  Without  Board 45 

Climate— Article  on 65 

Climate— As  an  Attraction 113 

Compnrison  With  Other  States 53-54 

Farm  Crops  of  Oregon 52-54 

Financing  a  Farm 08-107 

Average  Capital  Invested 104 

Average  Family  Expenses 105 

Average  Family  Income 105- 106 

Average  Gross  Income 103-104 

Average  Rate  of  Profit 106-107 

Average  Value  of  Dwellings 102 

Average  Value  of  Livestock 102-103 

Average  Value  Implements  and  Machinery    103 

Fruit  and  Vegetable  Farming 71-83 

HOP  Production 54 

Land  Statistics,  Total  Area,  etc 43 

Miscellaneous  Data  ^Statistical);  Average 
Rental;  Clearing  Cost;  Depth  of  Wells; 
Average  Number  Work  Horses;  Average 
Acres  Irrigated;  Average  Percent  Using 
Irrigation;  Average  Percent  Using  Ro- 
tation; Average  Amount  Manure  Used; 

Average  Crop  Sales  per  Acre 44 

Selecting  a  Faro?  in  Oregon — the  Type  and 

Region 35 

Best  Size  of  Farm,  Cropping  Area,  Statistics, 

etc ; 37 

Climatic  Considerations — Changes  in 36 

Examining  Prospective  Purchase 38-42 

Getting  Started  Right 37 

Miscellaneous  Data  on  Farming 44-45 

Occupation  of  Lands 43 

Soils  of  Oregon 46 

Chief  Types  of 46 

Composition  of  46-52 

Statistics  on  Business  Methods 108 

Different  Types  of  Farms — Percentage  of 

Examined  in  the  Survey 11-98 

General  Farm  Statistics 13-14-44 


Page 

Value  of  Farms  and  Farm  Property 109 

Total  Production  and  Acreage  of  Chief  Field 

Crops — by  Divisions 58 

Typical  Successful  Farms 124-131 

Survey — Agricultural — Cost  of 6 

Accuracy  of  Information 9 

Appropriation  for 5 

Authority  for 5 

Classification  of  Reports 9 

Different  Types  of  Farms  Examined 9 

Preparation  for 6 

Purpose  and  Scope  of 5 

Questions  to  Farmers 10 

Tabulation  of  Data 6-8 

Farm  Statistics- 
Average  Acreage  Operated;  Average  Depth  of 
Wells;  Average  Years  on  Farm;  Number  of 
Rural  Phones;  Opportunities  for  Work;  Re- 
quired to  Operate,  Men,  Horses;  Years  Ex- 
perience as  Farmers 15 

Field  Agents— List  of. 11 

Assignments  of  Territory  to 11 

Expenses  and  Reports  of 10 

Instructions  to 9 

Number  of 10 

Fruit  By-Products 73 

Fruit  Growing— by  Divisions 36-37 

Fruit  Pests 76-77 

Fruits  and  Vegetables— Article  on 71-83 

Fruit,  State  Average  1910-1911— Table 71 

Apples,  Pears,  Prunes,  Cherries 72 

By-Products  of  Cherries 73 

Cranberry  Culture 77 

District  Reports  on 77-83 

Fruit— by   Divisions— Statistical  and  des- 
criptive   78-83 

Industry  Combined  with  Other  Crops 76 

Land  Prices  in  Oregon 75 

Loganberries,  Peaches  and  Other  Fruits 73 

Nursery  Business 75 

Pests  and  How  Combated 76-77 

Thinning,  Grading,  Packing  and  Shipping..    77 

Varieties  to  Plant 76 

Vegetables — Statistical  and  Descriptive 71-83 

Typical  Successful  Farms 124-131 

Vegetables  (See  Fruit  and  Vegetables) 71-83 

Central  Oregon  Division 83 

Coast  Division 77 

Columbia  Basin  Division 81 

Blue  Mountain  Division 82 

Southern  Oregon  Division 78 

Willamette  Valley  Division 79 

Geographical  Divisions  of  State 8 

Goats- 
Land  Value  Increased  by  Pasturing;  Income 
from  Fleece;  Rank  of  Oregon  in  Quality; 
Valuable  as  Land  Clearers;  Willamette  Val- 
ley Ideal  for 24 

Gooseberries — (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) . .  71-85 
Grains,  Eays.  Etc — 

Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield  and  Value  of 
Each  of  Chief  Field  Crops— by  Sections.  .57-60 

Counties  Leading  in  Total  Production 5(5 

Crop  Production  by  Region 52 

Oregon  Yields  and  Prices  of  Field  Crops  Com- 
pared with  other  States 53-54 

Total  Production  and  Acreage  of  Chief  Field 

Crops— by  Divisions  (1909) 55 

Granitic  Soils — Composition  and  Description 

of 46-50 

Grapes— (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Greenhouse  Business  in  Oregon 74 

Hay  and  Forage — Total  Production  and  Acre- 
age—by Divisions— 1909 55 

Rank  of  Counties  in  Production  of 58 

See  Farm  Crops 52-63 

Honey— (See  Bee  Culture) 97-99 

Average  Pric«  of 99 


134 


OREGON  FARMER 


INDEX— Continued. 


Page 
Hogs— (Swine) 

Average  Number  of  Pigs  per  Litter 17-18 

Breeding  of  Pure  Bred  Hogs;  Growth  of;  Will- 
amette Valley  Excels  in 19 

Climate  and  its  Effect  on  Hog  Diseases 19 

Distribution  of  in  State  (Map) 17 

Forage  as  a  Food  Product 18 

Gains  in  Flesh  on  Various  Foods 18 

Grains  Used  as  Foods 18 

Number  of  in  State 17 

Proportion  of  Hogs  Consumed  in  Oregon  Pro- 
duced in  States 18 

Results  of  Food  Tests  by  Oregon  Experiment 

Station 18 

Scope  of  Industry  (1910-1912) 18 

Skim  Milk  as  a  Food 18 

Statistics  on 17 

Wheat  and  Barley  vs.  Corn 18 

Hones- 
Average  Number  of  per  Farm—by  Divisions..    44 

Colts  aa  Source  of  Income 20 

Cost  of  Production— Range  vs.  Feeding 20 

Distribution  of  in  State 19 

Draft  Horses,  most  Popular  Breeds 20-21 

Mules— (See  Mules  in  I^dex) 

Number  and  Value  of  in  State 19 

Number  Required  to  Operate  Farms 13 

Percent  of  Pure  Bred  Stallions  in  Oregon  and 

United  States 21 

Percent  of  Pure  Bred  Draft  Stallions  in  the 

State 21 

Production  of  Horses  in  State 20 

Production  of  Draft  Horses  in  State— Growth 

of  Industry 20 

Pure  Bred  Horses  in  State 21 

Growth  of  Popularity  of  Same 21 

Statistics  on 19 

Work  Horses— Average  Number  of  per  Farm 

— by  Divisions 44 

Immigration  Agent,  State.  .(Inside  Back  Cover) 
Immigration  Commission— Personnel  of 

(Inside  Back  Cover) 

Introduction— Object  and  Scope  of  Survey. .  5 
Investments  in  Farms  and  Improvements  .  14 
Irrigation — 

Average  Acres  Irrigated 44 

Average  Percent  Using  Irrigation 44 

Kale — Ita  Value  as  a  Forage,  Crop — 
Districts  Where  Grown;  Average  Acreage  per 
Farm;  Price,  Yield,  and  Value  per  Acre, 

Etc 61-63 

Labor  and  Wages- 
Average  on  Farms,  with  and  Without  Board . .     45 

Clearing  Cost — Average — by  Divisions 44 

Farm  Labor— Demand  for 131 

In  Dairy  Industry 29 

Manure— Average  Amount  Used 44 

Men — Average  Number  Required  to  Operate 

Farms 13 

•  Rental— Average  General  Farms 44 

Rotation  of  Crops — Average  Percent  Using — 

by  Divisions 44 

Wells— Average  Depth  of— by  Divisions 44 

Work  Horses— Average  Number  of  per  Farm- 
by  Divisions 44 

Number  Required  to  Operate  Farms 13 

Lands- 
Area  of-Cla»ified 112 

Soils,  Types  and  Composition  of 46-52 

Average  Acreage  per  Farm;  Average  Income 
in  Value,  1900-1911 ;  Average  Value  Land  per 
per  Acre;  Cultivated  Land;  Irrigable  Acre- 
age; Land  Occupation  Data;  Land  Occu- 
pation Statistics;  Now  Irrigated;  Number 
of  Farms;  Tillable  Land  Uncultivated; 
Tillable  Public  Land  Open  to  Entry;  Total 
Land  Area 43-44 


Page 

Letters— Circular  to  Citizens 9 

Of  Instructions  to  Agents 9 

Livestock  Industry— 

BeefCattle 15 

Alfalfa  as  a  Fattening  Product 18 

Classification  of 15 

Cost  of  Starting  Industry 16 

Grain  and  Hay  Feeding 16 

Map  Showing  Distribution  of 15 

Ranging  in  Eastern  Oregon 16 

Statistics    on    Cattle;    Percent    Increase; 

Acres  per  Head ;  Value  per  Acre 15 

Dairy  Cattle— (See  Dairying  Industry) 30 

Breeds  of  Dairying  Cattle. 
Goats- 
Mohair— Weight  and  Value  of  Fleece 24 

Rank  of  State  in  Number  and  Quality 24 

Valuation  as  Land  Clearers 24 

Western  Oregon  Conditions  Ideal  for 24 

Hogs- 
Breeding  of  Pure  Bred  Hogs 19 

Diseases  of  in  Oregon 19 

Distribution  of  in  State  (Map) 17 

Foods  and  Results;  Skim  Milk,  Grains  and 

Forage  Crops 18 

Markets  for—Portion  of  State  Consumption 

Supplied  by  Home  Products 18 

Number  of  in  State 18 

Statistics  on;  Average  Litters;  Percent  of 

Two  Litters;  Percent  of  One  Litter— by 

Divisions 17-18 

Horses- 
Breeding  of — Growing  Popularity  of  Draft 

Horses 20 

Comparison  of  Conditions  and  Prices  Be- 
tween Eastern  and  Western  Oregon 20 

Distribution  of  in  State  (Map) 19 

Methods  of  Feeding  by  Districts 20 

Number  and  Value  of  in  State 20 

Profits  in  Colt  Raising 20 

Rate  of  Increase 19 

Stallions— Percentage    of    Pure    Bred    in 

Oregon 21 

Statistics    on— Price    Necessary    to    Make 

Profit  on  a  4-year-old  Horse 19 

Mules- 
Good  Market  for  Surplus  Stock 21 

Most    Popular    in    Eastern    and    Central 

Oregon 21 

Sheep— 

Cost  of  Feeding  Small 24 

Distribution  of  in  State  (Map) 22 


Industry  Classified  by  Divisions 22 

Oregon  Famous  as  a  Breeding  Ground 24 

Pure  Bred  Sheep  Industry 24 

Ranging  in  Eastern  Oregon — on  Govern- 
ment Reserves 22-23 

Spring  Lamb  Industry  in  Western  Oregon . .  23 

Marketing  of  Spring  Lambs 23 

Statistics  on — Percent  Increase;  Loss  from 
Wild  Animals;  Average  Wool  Clip;  Cost 
of  Wintering;  Pasture  per  Head;  Value  of 
Land  per  Acre;  Age  Ewes  are  Sold — by 

Divisions 21 

Wool — Average  Clip  per  Head  and  Cost  of 

Production 22 

Oregon  as  Compared  to  United  States 22 

Loganberries — Growing  of  in  Oregon 72 

State  Average  in  Production,  1910-1911 71 

Maps,  Charts,  Diagrams,  Etc— (Index) 2 

Marsh  Soils — Composition  and  Description  of  .46-49 

Masons— Opportunities  for  Work IS 

Miscellaneous  Data— (Statistical) 41-45 

Mules- 

Not  Popular  in  Western  Oregon 21 

Production  in  the  State. 21 

Production  of  in  Central  Oregon 21 

Production  of  in  Blue  Mountain  Section 21 

Surplus  and  Exportation  of 21 


OREGON  FARMER 


135 


INDEX— Continued. 


Page 

Navigable  Streams  and  Railroads 117 

Map  of 118 

Occupation  of  Lands 43 

Land  Statistics— Total  Area;  Cultivated 
Land;  Tillable  Land  Uncultivated;  Tillable 
Public  Land  Open  to  Entry;  Total  Irrigable 
Acreage;  Acreage  now  Irrigated;  Total  Num- 
ber of  Farms;  Average  Acres  per  Farm;  Aver- 
age Value  Land  per  Acre;  Average  Increased 

Value— 1900-1911 43 

Oats— (See  Farm  Crops) 52-63 

Occupancy  of  Farms— Average 13 

Miscellaneous  Data— Statistical 44 

People  of  Oregon 114-117 

Earliest  Settlers 115 

Rural  Population — Distribution  of 116 

Their  Heritage Ill 

Peaches— (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Pears— (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Peas— (Field)-Oregon  Yield  and  Prices  (1909) 

—Compared  with  Other  States 54 

Population- 
Need  for  Denser 117 

Rural — Distribution  of 116 

The  People  of  Oregon 111-117 

Potatoes— Yield  in  Bushels,  10  Year  Average 
and  for  1912,  as  compared  with  Other  States .     53 

Poultry  Industry— Article  on 87 

Different  Types  of  Poultry  Keeping 87 

Poultry  and  Fruit 94 

Seven    Oregon    Farms — Receipts,    Expenses 

and  Capital  Invested 87-88-91 

Climatic  Conditions 90 

Description  of 89-90 

General  Information  and  Analysis  of  Stat- 
istics  90-93 

Typical  Successful  Farms 124-131 

Value  Poultry  Products  (Map) 96 

Poultry  Farming— by  Divisions 36-37 

Prunes— (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Publications— List  of  Issued  by  the  Oregon 

State  Immigration  Commission 

(Inside  Front  Cover) 

Pumice    Soil— Composition   and    Description 

of 46-51 

Raspberries— (See  Fruits  and  Vegetables) 71-85 

Rural  Homes  of  Oregon— Article  on 125-127 

Cost  of  Dwellings 103-125 

Railroads  and  Navigable  Streams  (Map) 118 

Transportation  and  Communication 117-119 

Reports  from  Farmers- 
Number  of  From  Each  County 11 

Sandy  Loam  Soil— Composition  and  Descrip- 
tion of 46-48 

Selecting  the  Farm  and  Getting  a  Start. ...    76 

Selecting  a  Farm  in  Oregon 35 

Best  Size  of  Farm— Cropping  Area 37 

Examining  Prospective  Purchase 38 

Fences,  Family  Orchards,  Etc 42 

Healthfulness,  Marketing  Conditions,  La- 
bor Supply,  Water,  Community  Condi- 
tions   41 

Physical  Character,   Climatic  Conditions, 

Etc 40 

Proportion,  Topography,  Elevation 38 

Soils,  Natural  Vegetation,  Etc 40-48 

Valuations,  Homestead  Lands,  Etc 43 

The  Type,  Region,  Climate,  Size,  Etc 35-41 

Sheep- 
Average  Cost  of  Wintering^ 23 

Average  Size  of  Band  per  Employee 23 

Cost  of  Starting  into  Business 23 

Distribution  of  in  State 22 

Industry  Classified .     22 

Lambs— What  to  Feed . . . 

When  Marketed '.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.'.     23 

Number  of  in  Oregon 21-22 

Pasturage  in  Mountains  and  Valleys 23 

Principal  Breeds  in  State .     24 


Page 

Principal  GrowingCenters 22 

Product  in  Great  Demand 24 

Range  on  National  Forest  Reserves 23 

Scope  of  Range  Sheep  Industry;  Average 
Wool  Clip  per  Head;  Cost  of  Production; 

Percent  of  Increase 2 

Spring  Lambing  in  Western  Oregon 23 

Statistics  on 21 

Willamette  Valley  a  Famous  Breeding  Section.    24 
Silt  Loams— Composition  and  Description  of  .46-47 

Size  of  Farms 75 

Social  Statistics- 
Churches  and  their  Influence 122 

Educational  Facilities 120 

Educational  Institutions,  Location  of  (Map). .  121 

Postal  Service  and  Telephone 119 

Railroads  and  Navigable  Streams  (Map) 118 

Rural  Organizations 123 

Summary 123 

Soils  of  Oregon 46-52 

Chief  Types  of 46 

Chemical  and  Physical  Analyses  of 40-46 

Climate  and  Relation  to 41-42 

Judging  Fertility  of 39-40 

Examining  for  Fertility 40 

Relation  of  to  Farm  Value 39-41 

Composition  and  Description  of  "Adobe", 
"Alkali",  "Granitic",  "Pumice",  "Marsh", 
"Sandy"  and  "Silt"  soils  and  loams— 46-52 

State  Immigration  Office— Address  of 

(Inside  Back  Cover) 

Statistics— 

Of  Book  Based  on  Averages 12 

On  Dairy  Products,  Etc 31 

Statistical  Data- 
Acreage,  Average  of  Farms  Reporting 99 

Alfalfa,  Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield,  Value, 

Etc.— by  Divisions 59 

Agricultural  Products  in  Oregon,  year  1912..    33 

Agriculture  Taught  in  Schools 118 

Associations  for  Social  Conditions 120 

Average  Acres  Irrigated 44 

Average  Amount  Manure  Used 44 

Average  Cost  of  Clearing  Land 44 

Average  Crop  Sales  per  Acre 44 

Average  Depth  of  Wells 44 

Average  Number  of  Work  Horses  per  farm. ...    44 

Average  Percent  Using  Irrigation 44 

Average  Percent  Using  Rotation 44 

Average  Rental  for  General  Farms 44 

Average  Wagea  Farm  Labor 45 

Bank  Accounts 109 

Barley— Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield,  Value, 

Etc. — by  Divisions 57 

Bee  Culture 97 

Best  Size  of  Farm — Cropping  Area,  for  Differ- 
ent Types 87 

Business   Methods— Reports   Showing   Bank 

Accounts;  Records  Kept,  Etc 106 

Butter  Making,  by  Women  at  Home 116 

Capital  Invested,  Average 102 

Cattle — by  Divisions 15 

Breeds  of— by  Divisions 80 

Churches,  Influence  of  Increasing 117 

Classificatipn  of  Reports 9 

Climatological  Data,  Summary  of  for  a  Period 

of  Years 8« 

Elevation,  Precipitation,  Evaporation,  Hu- 
midity, Frost  (Average  Date  of),  Grow- 
ing Seasons,  Temperatures,  Wind  Velo- 
city, Etc 68 

Clover,  Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield,  Value, 

Etc. — by  Divisions 69 

Crops— Counties  Leading  in  Production  of 

Field  Crops 56 

Crops— Miscellaneous,  Grown  Only  in  Cer- 
tain Regions 61 

Crops— Oregon  Yields  and  Prices  Compared"* 
with  Other  State* .  . . .  53-54 


136 


OREGON  FARM  EH 
INDEX-Continued. 


Page 

Crops — Total    Production    and    Acreage — by 

Divisions— 1909 55 

Dairy   Cows— Number  of  in  Proportion   to 

Population  and  Area  of  State 25 

Breeds  of  Cattle 30 

Butter  Fat  Prices 32 

Compared  With  Other  Dairy  States 26 

Cream  Separators— Number  and  Kind  of— 

by  Divisions 31 

Farms  Reporting  Incomes  from  Cows 27 

Labor  and  Wages 29 

Number  and  Value  of  Cows  arid  Heifers — 

by  Divisions 26 

Size  of  Herds  and  Average  Value  per  Cow . .     27 

Dwellings — Average  Value  of 100 

Expenses— Average  Family 103 

Fruits  and  Vegetables — State  Averages  in  Pro- 
duction, Yield,  Price  and  Income  per  Acre 

71-74-78-79^80-81-82-83 

General  Statistics  on  Agriculture  by  Divisions 
— Number  of  Reports;  Average  Years  on 
Farms;  Years  Experience  as  Farmers;  Av- 
erage Acreage  Operated;  Men  and  Horses 
Required  to  Operate  Farms;  Opportunities 
for  Work,  by  Classification  of  Labor;  Av- 
erage Depth  of  Wells;  Number  of  Rural 

Telephones 13 

Grain— Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield,  Value, 

Etc. — by  Divisions 60 

High  Schools— Access  to 117 

High  Schools— Location  of  (Map) 117 

Hogs — by  Divisions 17 

Hogs — Production 54 

Horses — by  Divisions 19 

Implements  and  Machinery — Average  Value 

of 101 

Income— Average  Gross 101 

Income — Average  Family 103 

Libraries— Access  to 117 

Livestock — Average  Value  of 100 

Miscellaneous  Data  (Statistical) 41-45 

Oats — Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield,  Value, 

Etc.— by  Divisions 58 

Occupation  of  Lands  in  Oregon 43 

Organizations  for  Material  Improvements 120 

Percentage  of  Different  Types  of  Farms  Exam- 
ined in  the  Agricultural  Survey 9 

Potatoes— Average    Acreage,     Price,    Yield, 

Value,  Etc. — by  Divisions 57 

Poultry     Industry— Seven     Oregon     Farms, 

Showing  Different  Types 85 

Receipt*,  Expenses,  Capital  Invested,  Etc.  .85-86 
Profit— Average  Rate  of,  Including  Family 

Labor 104 

Profit— Percent  of 105 


Records  Kept . ?  lOfi 

Rural  Free  Delivery H(j 

Sheep— by  Divisions 21 

Societies  for  Social  Intercourse 120 

Societies  for  Women 120 

Social  Statistics 116-120 

Butter  Making  by  Women  at  Home.  Nation- 
ality, Rural  Free  Delivery,  Ruial  Tele- 
phones  

Soil  Types— Com  ponition  of 46 

Soil  Types,  of  Oregon 48 

Statistics  Based  on  Averages 12 

Telephones— Rural 116 

Temperature  and  Rainfall — Mean  Monthly — 

Chart 69 

Timothy— Average    Acreaee,     Price,     Yield, 

Value,  Etc  — by  Divisions 60 

Typical  Successful  Farm  (a  Summary) ....  124-131 

Value  of  Farms  and  Farm  Property 107 

Wheat— Spring,  Average  Acreage,  Price,  Yield, 

Value.  Etc —by  Divisions 57 

Wheat — Winter,     Average     Acreage,     Price, 

Yield.  Value,  Etc  —by  Divisions.  57 

Wild    Hay— Average    Acreage.    Price,    Yield, 

Value,  Etc. — by  Divisions 60 

Study  This  Book 3 

Telephone,  Rural— by  Divisions 13 

Topography— Map  of  State Frontispiece 

Transportation  and  Communication 11. 

Railroads  and  Navigable  Streams  (Map) 118 

Truck  Gardening  in  Oregon      7-t 

Truck  and  Small  Fruit  Farming— 

By  Divisions 36-37 

Types  of  Soils — Composition  and  Description 

of 46-51 

Typical  Successful  Farms— (Article  on) ...  124-131 

Blue  Mountain  Division 129 

Central  Oregon 130 

Coast  Division 124 

Columbia  Basin 128 

Southern  Oregon  Division 127 

Willamette  Valley 126 

Value  and  Price  of  Farm  Lands 43-74-75 

Vegetables- 
State  Average  in  Production,  Value.Etc 74 

Wages  and  Labor— With  and  Without  Board- 
by  Divisions 44 

On  Dairy  Farms 29 

Crop  Sales,  Average — by  Divisions 44 

Farm  Labor — Demand  for 131 

Walnuts— Growing  of  in  Oregon 73 

Wells— Average  Depth  in  State— by  Divisions.  13-44 

Wheat— (See  Farm  Crops) 52-63 

Work — Opportunities   for — Carpenters,    Black- 
smiths and  Masons. .    13 


READ  and  STUDY  the  Subject  Matter. 

The  subject  matter  of  this  bulletin  is  not  intended  for  hurried  or  care- 
less reading.  The  idea  of  the  writers  throughout  has  been  to  compress  the 
greatest  possible  amount  of  information  into  the  smallest  possible  space. 
Every  sentence  carries  an  important  fact  for  the  guidance  of  the  newcomer 
seeking  accurate  information  regarding  Oregon  from  the  agricultural  stand- 
point. Every  statement  is  a  conclusion,  "boiled  down",  drawn  from  the 
observation  and  experience  of  men  who  have  made  a  long  study  of  their 
special  lines  and  know  the  agricultural  conditions  and  possibilities  of  Oregon 
in  detail.  It  has  been  their  effort  to  make  their  statements  conservative. 
They  have  not  attempted  to  tell  the  newcomer  how  to  farm  his  lands;  but, 
rather,  to  give  him  facts  relative  to  the  present  production  in  the  state  and 
information  such  as  will  aid  him  in  GETTING  STARTED  RIGHT,  so  that 
he  may  avoid  making  mistakes  in  selecting  his  field  for  work  and  have  the 
best  opportunity  for  success.  The  reader  who  is  truly  interested  in 
"Oregon's  Opportunity"  should  not  merely  READ  these  discussions,  but 
should  STUDY  them  if  he  wishes  to  more  clearly  understand  the  facts 
contained  herein. 


OREGON  STATE  IMMIGRATION 
COMMISSION: 

THOMAS  C.  BURKE,  President 
MARSHALL  N.  DANA,  Secretary 
JOHN  M.  SCOTT 
W.  E.  COMAN 
F.  W.  LONEGREN 


STATE  IMMIGRATION  AGENT 
C.  C.  CHAPMAN 


For  further  information  address : 

Oregon  State  Immigration  Office 

Commercial  Club  Building 

Portland,  Oregon 


THE  OREGON  FARMER 

WHAT   HE  HAS   ACCOMPLISHED  IN  EVERY 
PART  OF  THE  STATE 


A  Preliminary  Agricultural  Survey  Under  the 

Direction  of  an  Advisory  Committee 

From  the  Faculty  of 

Oregon  Agricultural  College 

CORVALLIS 


Conducted  by 

Oregon  Statistical  Bureau 

J.  A.  BEXELL,  Director 
E.  B.  Lemon,  Assistant  Statistician 


1913 


Published  by 

Oregon  State  Immigration  Commission 

C.  C.  CHAPMAN 

State  Immigration  Agent 

PORTLAND,  OREGON 


WILLIS  S.  DUNIWAY,  State  Printer 


I 


YC  67764 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


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